SQL 46 

.S38 
I Copy 1 



EXPLANATORY TEXT 



S. R. TTRBINO'S 

CHARTS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 

By DR. J. H. VON SCHUBERT, 

OF MUNICH. 
REVISED AND CORRECTED BY 

SAMUEL KNEELAND, A.M., M.D., 

INSTRUCTOR IN ZOOLOGY IN THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. 




BOSTON: 

S. R. URBINO, 14 BROMFIELD STREET. 
1869. 



I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, i 






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JUNITEI) STATES OF AMERICA.] 



EXPLANATORY TEXT 



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6>ff£>,a 



S. R. URBINO'S 



CHARTS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



GroH-V^ 






REVISED AND COEEECTED BY 



SAMUEL KNEELAND, AM., M.D., 

INSTRUCTOR IN ZOOLOGY IN THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OP TECHNOLOGY. 




BOSTON: 

R. URBINO, 14 BROMFIELD STREET. 
1869. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 

S. R. URBINO, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



Jr. 



v-TU<L 



CAMBRIDGE .* 
PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON. 



t 

u 

4 



DEDICATION. 



This work is respectfully dedicated to teachers and students 
throughout the land, in the hope and in the belief that it will be 
of assistance to them in the pursuit of one of the most fascinating, 
useful, and elevating branches of human knowledge. 



PREFACE. 



The engravings of animals, to which these pages are 
the accompanying text, may be regarded as an attempt 
to introduce into common-school education a new 
feature; viz., the study of natural history. 

The most distinguished educators of the day are of 
one mind as to the great advantages to be derived from 
a knowledge of the forms and relations of the animal 
kingdom, as one of the elements in a general edu- 
cation. 

The beauty of the objects thus presented to the 
youthful mind is no small inducement for its early 
presentation. The varied colors of shells, the glisten- 
ing hues of insects, and the gorgeous plumage of 
birds, as simple objects of beauty, cannot fail to in- 
terest young persons, and to lay the foundation for a 
love and appreciation of the beautiful in nature, and in 
art, the copier of nature. 

The study of natural history also sharpens the per- 
ceptive faculties, and develops a method and precision 
in the pursuit of knowledge, which will exert great 
influence in every sphere of life. 



VI PEEFACE. 

If to this be added the insight into the plan of 
creation, which an acquaintance with the wonderful 
adaptation of means to ends (everywhere seen in the 
animal kingdom) of necessity gives to the student, we 
feel that no further evidence need be presented of the 
utility of this study. 

The present work is offered with the view of facili- 
tating the teaching and acquiring the principles of 
natural history. The accuracy, beauty, and artistic 
representations of the animals on the plates will surely 
arrest and please the eye, which is the first great step 
in the natural system of object-teaching. 

This is an attempt to popularize the knowledge of 
natural history, by presenting, in a cheap but scientific 
form, lifelike pictures of a sufficient number of char- 
acteristic animals to show the principal links in the 
chain of nature. 

Of course, it is impossible in a work of this kind to 
• enter minutely into the description of animals and their 
habits : it is only hoped, in this, to secure the attention 
of youthful students, and thus so to interest them in 
the study of natural history, that they will be induced 
to pursue it in larger works specially intended for the 
purpose. 

S. K. 

Boston, January, 1869. 



CONTENTS. 



Mammals 1 

Birds 50 

Serpents and other Reptiles 94 

Fishes 105 

Mollusks 125 

Insects . 133 

Crustaceans 152 

Worms 153 

Radiates * . . 155 



MAMMALIA. 



Plate 1. 



Monkeys. — I. The Orangs and Chimpanzee (Simla) 
are those which resemble man the most : their head is 
round ; their eyes and ears, although small, are con- 
structed after the human type ; their face, as well as 
breast, is hairless ; they have no tail, &c, as most 
other monkeys have, When standing upright, they are 
about as tall as a middle-sized man. 

They inhabit the warmest parts of Asia, Africa, and 
Oceanica. 

a. The Chimpanzee (Simla Troglodytes) (Troglo- 
dytes niger) has long been known, and always consid- 
ered as a very intelligent and mild ape. All Natural 
Historians, who have had an opportunity of observing 
it in confinement, praise it for its amiableness and intel- 
ligence. Only language is wanting to make it a more 
preferable companion for man than any other animal. 

The Chimpanzee reaches the height of three and a 
half to four feet. All the body, except the lower part, — 
the face, the palm, and back of the hand, — is covered 
with long, black hair. Herds of these animals are 
found in the large forests of Upper and Lower Guinea, 
and subsist on fruits and roots. They live on the 

1 



2 MAMMALIA. 

ground by day, and by night in their nests, made of 
bent twigs, some twenty to thirty feet above the 
ground. 

b. The Red Orang-Outang (Simla satyrus) (Pith- 
ecus satyrus) is the Asiatic Orang, which, at present, 
inhabits only the marshy forests of Borneo, but not in 
large numbers. This ape was known to the Roman 
historian Pliny, since whose time it has often been 
brought into Europe, and has been studied in its 
minutest details by men like Cuvier, &c. Alas ! this 
interesting animal, like the Chimpanzee, is carried off 
in a short time by consumption, in spite of the utmost 
care. Its extraordinary intelligence shows itself mostly 
during its sickness, when it willingly takes medicine, and 
every expression of its features reminds one of the suf- 
fering in a human being. 

It is distinguished from the Chimpanzee, not only by 
the color, but by the length of the arms, which reach 
down to the ankles. 

II. The Gibbons, or Longarms (Hylobates), as 
their name signifies, are distinguished from all other 
apes, except the Orang, by the length of their arms. 

They form a small group, of which only seven spe- 
cies are at present known. The Gibbon is a native of 
the East Indies. 

c. The White-bearded Gibbon (Simla lar) (Hylobates 
lar) is one of the most agile of the family. It swings 
from one tree to another, a distance of thirty to forty 
feet, with the greatest ease, and can even change its 
direction while swinging, so that the swinging might 
rather be called flying. 

d. The Siamang (Simla Hylobates) (Hylobates syndac- 



MAMMALIA. 6 

tylus) is very large and heavy, three feet and a half in 
height ; of a deep black color ; a native of Sumatra. 
At the rising and setting of the sun, the Siamangs make 
a frightful noise, which can be heard at a great 
distance. 

Plate 2. 

a. The Brown Sapajou (Cebus apella). The Sapajou 
can,, be seen in almost any menagerie, and is preferable 
to most American monkeys. It is gentle and mild, 
and manifests great attachment to those who take care 
of it ; it possesses a great degree of understanding, and 
knows how to make good use of its experience. 

b. The Green, or St. Jago Monkey (Cebus sabaus). 
Only this monkey can easily be propagated in Europe. 
The back is of an olive-green color, belly white, and 
face black. They live upon the trees in the forests of 
Senegal. 

&. The Dog-faced Baboon (Cynocephalus) has, as the 
name indicates (cunos, a dog; cephalc, head), a face 
somewhat resembling a dog. Although very ferocious, 
Brehm found that the young female Baboons could be 
tamed,, and showed great tractableness. Their manner 
of living, when free, is the same as other species of 
monkeys. They live in great herds in Asia and Africa, 
and subsist upon roots, leaves, fruits, and eggs. Full- 
grown animals attain the size of a large dog, and show 
surprising strength and boldness in fight. 

d. The Mandril, or Ribbed-nosed Baboon {Cynoct- 
pkalus mormon) ,is a native of the Gold-coast. They se ek 
their food on rocks and trees. It is agreed that the Man- 
dril is the ugliest of animals ; not only in bodily, but in 



4 MAMMALIA. 

mental, characteristics. It has a short tail and long 
canine teeth; the nose and rump are scarlet-red, and 
the face is blue and wrinkled. It is very ferocious. 

e. The Couxio (Stentor Beelzebub) has a tufted 
beard. They live in troops in the forests of Brazil. 
It has received the name Stentor from the frightful, 
howling noise which it makes in the night, and which is 
heard at a great distance. 

f. The Barbary Ape (Inuus ecaudatus) is how 
found only in Gibraltar, and in small numbers ; formerly 
they were numerous in the mountains of North Africa, 
where they climbed the rocks to find worms, &c. ; but 
they also knew how to take fruit from the trees. 

Plate 3. 

a. The Araguato (Mycetes ursinus) has the same 
properties as e. in Plate 2. The body is covered with 
a long, reddish hair ; the beard is long, and the face is of 
a bluish-black color. The Araguatos are very common 
in Central South America : fifty have been counted on 
one tree. The frightful howling of the male can be 
heard at all hours of the day. 

b. The Large -headed Sapajotj (Cebus capucinus) is 
whitish around the face, the rest of the body is brown, 
but the shades of color are variable. It is very 
common. 

c. The Siamiri (Callithrix sciurea). These are per- 
haps the most beautiful little monkeys in the New World. 
In their manner of living and motions, they resemble 
the squirrel more than the monkey. During the day, 
they are to be seen in large numbers on trees, par- 



MAMMALIA. 

ticularly where the foliage is thick. They are too 
delicate to live any length of time in another cli- 
mate. 

d. The Silky Tamarin (Hapale rosalid). This is 
one of the neatest and prettiest of animals, living in the 
woods of Brazil. It has a reddish-yellow mane, and 
the ends of the hair shine like gold in the open air It 
jumps from tree to tree like a squirrel, and, like it, lies 
down flat on a branch. The Tamarin cannot endure 
confinement. 

e. The Maki (Lemur) is a slim animal about the 
size of a common cat, with a foxlike head, fine woolly 
fur, and bushy tail. It hides in the holes of trees 
during the day, and comes out at sunset to roam 
through the woods. It lives upon trees, and subsists on 
fruits and the eggs of small birds. The Maki is found 
only in Madagascar. 

Plate 4. 

a. The Flying Dog (Pteropus edulis) is a native of the 
East-India Islands, and the largest of the Bat family. 
Its hair is long and of a dark-brown color. Its head 
resembles that of a dog. It feeds on vegetables, and 
the natives of the Islands are obliged to cover their 
fruit-trees with nets to preserve the fruit from thek 
devastations. 

b. The Vampire ( Vespertilio vampyrus) (Phyllostomd) 
is found in Central South America ; it hides during the 
day in clefts and caverns. At night, it hunts insects of 
all kinds, and does not reject the juicy fruits of the trees 
about whose tops it flutters. When pressed by hunger 

1* 



b MAMMALIA. 

it attacks birds and mammals, sucking their blood 
through a hole which it pierces in their skin. 

c. The Common Bat ( Vespertilio murinus). This Bat 
is very generally diffused ; it is found everywhere in 
Middle and Southern Europe and Asia, in the north of 
Africa ; an allied species is found in North America. 
Just before sundown these bats are seen flying with the 
dexterity and steadiness of the swallow. Unfortunately, 
this useful little animal is very often sacrificed to super- 
stition and unjust aversion. The ears of this bat are as 
large as its head ; the tail is nearly as long as the 
body. 

d. The Long-eared Bat (Plecotmauritus). This Bat, 
distinguished by the length of its ears, is very common 
in old houses in France. It flies late at night; and, 
though wanting the dexterity and steadiness of the 
common bat (e.), it is far superior in acuteness of hear- 
ing, as has been proved by experiments on one which 
was tamed. 

e. The Horseshoe Bat (Equinus vespertilio) (Rhi- 
nolophus), so called from the form of a horseshoe on its 
nose. These bats are in Europe, what the Vampyre 
Bats are in Brazil ; they have been observed sucking 
blood from birds, particularly hens and pigeons. They 
do not fly as easily as other bats, because the mem- 
branes which serve them for wings are shorter. 

f. The Flying Maki {Galeopithecus volans) is ten 
inches long and two feet wide. Like the Bats, this 
animal is active only during the night, when, aided by 
its sharp, hooked claws, it climbs to the tops of trees in 
search of fruits and insects. They are found in the 
Sunda and Moluccas Islands. 






MAMMALIA. 



Plate 5. 



a. The Civet (Viverra zibetha), a native of the East 
Indies, .is two feet five inches long, without the tail, 
which is fifteen inches long. It is a beautiful, agile 
animal; but, like the Marten, extremely bloodthirsty. 
It sleeps the greater part of the day, but roams at night 
for prey, which consists of small mammals, birds, and 
their eggs. The odoriferous matter, called civet, is 
taken from the glands under the tail. 

b. The Egyptian Eat, or Ichneumon (Herpestes 
ichneumon). A part of the thousand years' glory of this 
sacred animal of the ancient Egyptians has been pre- 
served in the name Pharaoh's Eat, but only in this name. 
Its repute as a crocodile -killer and destroyer of croco- 
diles' eggs has been refuted by the observation of mod- 
ern travellers ; indeed, the Ichneumon is as much a hated 
animal with the Egyptians of the present day, as our 
Marten and Polecat are with us ; for, like the latter, it 
commits its robberies in house and poultry-yard in open 
day ; though it eats serpents, the chief food consists of 
mammals, and birds of all sorts. 

c. The Mungos, or East-Indian Ichneumon (Her- 
pestes mungos). The East-Indian Ichneumon, although 
much smaller, has the same boldness and inclination to 
rob as its larger cousin in Africa ; but it is gentler and 
easier tamed ; it is frequently used by the Japanese as 
a domestic animal for the destruction of rats and ser- 
pents ; it is said to be extremely courageous in battle 
with poisonous serpents, and, when bitten, cures itself 
with Mungo-root, from which it derives its name. 



8 MAMMALIA. 

d. The Common, or Pine Marten (mustela martes) 
lives in all parts of Europe and Central Asia. It builds 
its nest in the hollow trees of thick pine forests; it 
jumps, climbs, and swims extremely well ; it is one of 
the most dexterous and boldest of robbers, against 
which no small animal is safe; the length is twenty- 
inches ; tail, twelve inches ; the fine, soft hair is dark- 
brown on the top, and yellowish on the sides and lower 
part of the body. 

e. The Stone Marten (Mustela foina) is chestnut- 
brown, with the under part of the throat and neck 
white ; smaller and shorter than the common Marten ; 
its manner of living is about the same, only that it ap- 
proaches nearer human habitations, preferring to take up 
its abode in old walls, barns, &c. ; it is fond of nice and 
sweet fruits ; it is easily tamed when young ; the grace- 
fulness of its movements delights every lover of nature. 

f. The Polecat (Mustela putoiius) (Putorius com- 
munis). This is the worst species in the whole family of 
Martens, and much disliked on account of the ravages 
it makes in the poultry-yard ; it eats mice, rats, and ser- 
pents. The breast, feet, and tail of the Polecat are 
black. When attacked, it discharges a fluid of an 
insupportable odor, which effectually drives off the 
enemy. 

Plate 6. 

a. The Common Weasel (Mustela vulgaris) (Puto- 
rius vulgaris) is not larger than a common-sized rat ; 
its small and lean body enables it not only to slip 
through cracks and holes in forest and field, but also in 
house and yard : so it happens that its usefulness in 



MAMMALIA. 9 

destroying mice, rats, and serpents is more than bal- 
anced by the devastation it makes among fowls and 
pigeons. 

b. The Ermine (Putorius erminea) (Mustela er- 
minea) is almost twice as large as its little cousin ; but 
otherwise much like it. In winter, and sometimes 
within a few days, the fur changes to a pure white, ex- 
cept on the tip of the tail, which remains always black. 
In its excursions for prey, which consists of all small 
animals in forest and field, as w r ell as domestic fowl, it 
knows of no obstacle : it climbs nimbly, and swims 
rapidly, even over rough w r aters. The Ermine skins 
form, when sewed together, one of our finest and most 
valuable furs. Thousands of persons in North America 
and in Siberia are employed all winter in baiting traps 
for Ermines and Sables. 

c. The Ferret (Putorius fur 6) (Mustela fur 6) has 
yellowish-white fur ; it is a natural enemy of the Rab- 
bit, on which account it is tamed, and made serviceable 
in hunting by driving the rabbits out from their bur- 
rows. The Ferret and Weasel kill their prey instan- 
taneously. 

d. The Sable Marten (Mustela zibellina) is 
brown, with gray spots upon the head. It is a native 
of Siberia, where it lives in burrows or hollow trees. 
Its fur is so valuable that hunters spend three or four 
winter months, enduring great hardship, in pursuit 
of it. 

e. The Skunk (Mustela mephitis) (Mephitis mepfii- 
tica). This animal lives in America ; is about the size 
of the Marten; it is furnished with long claws, with 
which it digs in the earth ; it subsists on fruits, insects, 



10 MAMMALIA. 

and birds. Its long-haired fur is of a brilliant black, 
striped with white ; the tail is long and bushy. The 
Skunk is feared by man and beast, on account of the 
fetid liquor which it ejects from glands situated near 
the anus. Five species are found in America. 

f. The Fish Otter (Lutra vulgaris) is found through- 
out Europe and the northern and central parts of Asia ; 
its body is two feet eight inches long, and it attains the 
weight of from twenty to twenty-five pounds. It is a 
nocturnal animal, an excellent swimmer and diver. 
The Otter does not eat its prey in the water, but always 
brings it on land. The Fish Otter is often tamed when 
young, and proves a very intelligent animal ; docile as 
a dog, it follows its master about, as affectionately as 
that fond animal. 

" The American Otter is about four and a half feet 
long, including the tail, which is eighteen inches in 
length. The color is liver-brown above, slightly 
lighter beneath, sides of head and neck dirty-whitish. 
The fur is of two kinds : one, long, somewhat coarse, 
and scattered ; the other, shorter, fine and dense." 

g. The Sea Otter (Lutra marina), twice as large as 
the Fish Otter, weighs from seventy to eighty pounds ; 
it lives on the coast of the ocean between Asia and 
America, and is much hunted on account of its beauti- 
ful, black, shining, velvety fur. It subsists on crabs, 
mussels, and small fish. 

Plate 7. 

The Cat Family (Fclince). — Our common house-cat 
presents a good type of this whole family. Head 



MAMMALIA. 11 

round; eyes oblique, pupil rather oval, and capable of 
great expansion in darkness ; whiskers long ; canines 
sharp and very strong ; body long ; skin covered with 
soft hair, and everywhere loose ; many animals of this 
family have a mane. The legs are of middling size 
and very strong ; claws sheathed, and very sharp ; tail 
long, and generally tufted on the end ; step noiseless. 
They feed on mammals and birds, which they watch, 
especially in the night, and overpower with one spring ; 
their senses, particularly those of sight 'and hearing, 
are well developed. They are possessed of moderate 
intellectual capacity. They are diffused over both the 
Old and New World, but do not pass beyond a certain 
northern limit, as cats are generally sensitive to cold. 

a. The Lion [Felis led) is of a uniform tawny 
color ; the body is from eight to nine feet long ; tail 
three to four feet, and terminated by a tuft of hair. A 
beautiful mane ornaments the head, neck, and shoulders 
of the male. They inhabit Africa and the neighbor- 
ing countries of Asia. There are several varieties of the 
Lion, that of Barbary (see plate) is considered the 
handsomest; that of Senegal is distinguished by the 
shortness of its mane. For perfect symmetry of 
the body, combined with the powerful development 
of the separate limbs, the Lion may justly be consid- 
ered the king of beasts. His strength is extraordinary ; 
he carries off an ox as easily as a cat carries a rat ; with 
one stroke of his paw he can break the ribs of a horse, 
and with that of his tail throw the strongest man to the 
ground. His bearing is majestic; his roar resembles 
distant thunder, and fills all animals of the forest with 
terror ; however, he is much less cruel than the tiger. 



12 MAMMALIA. 

He feeds mostly on gazelles and monkeys. Although 
he fears man, and never attacks him except when 
pressed by hunger, he does not recoil at his presence, 
or that of any other animal. Lions live in pairs. The 
female is smaller than the male, and has no mane. 
Where there are European settlements their numbers 
have greatly diminished. 

b. The Tiger (Felis tigris) is more slender, it is true, 
than the Lion, but in length it is equal, and in strength 
not inferior. It is a native of Asia, and a terrible 
animal ; the number, in contradistinction to that of the 
Lion, does not diminish by the extension of European 
settlements, but seems rather to increase. Many people 
become prey to the rapacity of tigers ; they live in con- 
tinual warfare with each other, and often devour their 
own offspring. 

c. The Jaguar, (Felis onca). This is the largest 
and strongest of the group of leopards, a represen- 
tative of the tiger, to which he is scarcely inferior in 
size, in South America, where it is greatly feared as an 
animal of prey. Like the Lion, it is king of the forests 
where it lives ; it chooses forests in the neighborhood 
of rivers for its abode, and hunts the tapir and other 
animals which go to the rivers to drink. 

After having seen man for a few times, it loses the 
fear which it at first had of him, and boldly approaches 
his dwelling, carrying off dogs, horses, cattle, and even 
men themselves. 

Plate 8. 

a. The Leopard (Felis leopardus) is a native of 
Africa and the warm countries of Asia. The color of 



MAMMALIA. 13 

its skin is more beautiful than that of any other animal 
of the cat family; it is a tawny-red color, with black 
spots somewhat in the form of rosettes. Every motion 
of its elegant body is agile and graceful. Bold, like 
the Lion, it surpasses this proud, generous robber in 
catlike slyness. It is exceedingly bloodthirsty, and 
makes fearful ravages among flocks and herds. 

A full-grown male measures six and a half feet, 
including the tail ; and is about two and a half feet in 
height. 

b. The Puma, or American Lion (Felis concolo?'), has 
been called the Silver Lion on account of the silver- 
gray color of the lower body and legs. It is a slender 
animal, with small, gray head, strong paws, and thin 
tuftless tail ; the skin of the back is a smooth, dark, yel- 
lowish-red ; mane wanting. Called Panther and Cata- 
mount in North America. The Puma is much weaker 
than the Jaguar, and cannot, like this, seize upon large 
animals, but must content itself with those of the size 
of a sheep, of which it has been known to carry off fifty 
in a single night. On that account, every effort is made 
to exterminate it. It is hunted with dogs, which chase 
it up the trees, where it is shot. 

c. The Lynx {Felis lynx) has a reddish-brown skin, 
w T ith spots of a deeper shade ; pointed ears and short tail. 
It is three and a half feet long, and the largest kind 
of cat which still exists in a wild state. The Lynx is 
a very voracious animal, and commits great depredations 
among flocks and game. Mornings and evenings it 
pounces upon stags, sheep, and goats, not disdaining the 
smaller mammals and birds. It conceals itself in the 
foliage of high trees to watch for prey ; when it judges 



14 MAMMALIA. 

that the animal cannot escape, it springs upon and de- 
stroys it. If obliged to make many springs, it gives up 
the chase. The skin is valuable for fur. 

d. The Wild Cat (Felis catus /era). A brindled, 
fierce animal, which frequents retired woods and copses 
among rocks ; its tail is of uniform thickness, with black 
rings ; body, about two and a half feet long ; tail, one 
foot. The Wild Cat climbs the highest trees with the 
greatest facility; hunts birds, rabbits, &c, and even 
fish; catches a great number of mice and moles. It is 
a dangerous animal, and, if slightly wounded, turns 
upon the hunter with great ferocity. 

e. The Domestic Cat (Felis domestica) is too gener- 
ally known to need to be described. According to 
modern investigation, it seems to have descended from 
the Nubian Cat ; and from Egypt, by degrees, it has 
been spread over all the world. The House Cat is 
amiable and very intelligent ; she is much attached to 
man, but more to the house. That she is false is a 
simple calumny, and an aversion to cats is unjustifiable 
and absurd. 

Plate 9. 

Dogs (Canes). In this family are comprised the 
real dogs, wolves, foxes, and hyenas. Dogs in gen- 
eral have a small head with pointed muzzle, thin 
legs, and small paws; the fore paws have five, the 
back four toes, with unsheathed claws ; the tail is 
proportionally short and bushy. All their senses 
are exceedingly well developed, especially smell and 
hearing : they are not shaped for climbing ; but, in- 
stead, they are expert in running, digging, and swim- 



MAMMALIA. 15 

ming. Those in the service of man are noted for their 
intellectual capacities. They are not like cats, strictly- 
carnivorous, but some of them live on vegetables, and 
tame dogs eat every thing. The whole earth is their 
home ; even Australia, poor in animals, has its wild 
dog, or dingo. 

Whilst the bloodthirsty propensities of the Cat are 
often concealed by the beauty of her form and the 
softness of her fur, the gloomy appearance of the 
Hyena always gives a bad impression. Its strong 
head, oblique eyes, thick neck, short-set, rugged body, 
with bristly mane and sloping back, altogether make 
it a very homely animal. The voice of the Hyena 
sometimes resembles the whining of a child and some- 
times a disagreeable laugh, which has given rise to the 
various stories related by nurses of those countries 
which they inhabit. Their greediness, extending over 
both living and dead animals, is as well known as their 
cowardice. They live in Asia and Africa. Mussul- 
men consider them unclean and detestable animals. 

a. The Striped Hyena (JJycena striata), the most 
common, is distributed over the hottest parts of Asia 
and Africa. The length of the body is five feet ; color 
yellowish-gray, with brown and black stripes ; the large 
upright ears are bare. This Hyena is seen in all 
menageries ; among other abominations related of it, is 
that of digging up bodies in burial-grounds. It lives 
principally on carcasses of animals and all kinds of 
refuse, for which it roams about in the night. 

b. The Spotted Hyena (Hycena picta). This is 
much larger and stronger than the Striped Hyena, and, 
although cowardly by nature, if tortured by hunger, 



16 MAMMALIA. 

does not hesitate to attack middling-sized animals, and 
even man; but the latter only when in sleep. The 
native land of the Spotted Hyena is South and East 
Africa. 

The real dog has so much in common with the wolf, 
that a general description will answer for both : how- 
ever, it may be difficult for some to consider the terrier 
or badger dog as near relations to the wolf; but size 
and form do not decide the question. The skull, the 
teeth, and manner of living, designate the family to 
which an animal belongs. Dogs and wolves have a 
long skull with a projecting muzzle : the pupil of the 
eye is round; the body lean, and narrowed toward 
the hips ; legs slim and sinewy ; senses well devel- 
oped, particularly that of smell, which guides the 
animal in finding its food. The whole family manifests 
an inclination for society, which unites the wild kinds 
into great herds. The dog hunts by day. 

No animal is so completely identified with the ex- 
istence of man as the dog ; none has so faithfully fol- 
lowed him everywhere. 

Whence come so many forms of the House Dog 
( Ganis domesticus) is not positively known ; though it is 
supposed to be through natural and artificial breeding 
and crossing of different kinds of wolves. All house 
dogs, however different in size, form, and character, are 
alike in their attachment to man, and capacity to adapt 
themselves to his customs. Intellectually, they are 
highly gifted animals, possessing good memory, great 
understanding, and much feeling. They stand high 
also in physical characters. Their quickness combines 
with their endurance, their strength with their agility, 



MAMMALIA. 17 

in making them almost indispensable to man. The 
Poodle is considered, by Scheitlin, as the most perfect 
of dogs. 

c. The Greyhound {Cams grajus) is only valuable 
for hunting in extensive grass-covered plains ; notwith- 
standing, it is kept chiefly in Hungary, the southern 
part of Russia, and by all nomad tribes in Asia and 
Africa, for chasing hares, antelopes, &c. It is easily 
recognized by the long, pointed head, thin body, full 
arched chest, and long legs. Its sight and hearing are 
acute, but the sense of smell is less fine than that 
of other hunting dogs. It is accused of falseness in 
character. 

d. The Hunting Dog {Canis venaticus) I is of middling 
size and strong build ; ears long, broad, and hanging. 
It displays wonderful consideration and skill when 
hunting for feathered game. 

e. The Wolf {Cams lupus) is different from the Dog 
in form, character, and manner of living. The wild 
dog bears the nearest resemblance to the Wolf, which 
might be taken for a long-haired wild dog, only that it 
lets its tail hang, while the former carries it up, and 
often with an inclination to the left. The length of the 
Wolf, including the tail, is five feet ; height, two feet ; 
the color is a mixture of yellow, gray, and brownish- 
red. It is devoid of the noble courage of the Dog, and 
with all its strength is a cowardly animal, risking life 
only when driven by extreme hunger ; the voice is a 
disagreeable howl. It is considered the natural enemy 
of man, who uses all means to exterminate it wherever 

found. 

2* 



18 MAMMALIA. 



Plate 10. 

a. The Jackal (Canis aureus) resembles the Wolf, 
bat is smaller ; the tail is short and bushy ; color, yel- 
lowish-brown ; it is two feet long and one and a half high, 
and lives in herds in the warmest parts of Asia and Africa ; 
it is also found in Dalmatia. Its habits are similar to 
those of a Hyena; the food, likewise, consists of carcasses 
and wild and tame mammals. 

Foxes are distinguished from domestic dogs and 
wolves by the form of their skull, long sharp nose, oval 
pupil, and bushy tail, sometimes called brush. 

b. The Fox (Canis vulpes) needs no particular de- 
scription ; its slyness and cunning calculation, its bold- 
ness and .impudence, have been well known from the 
earliest times. It lives on poultry, hares, &c, and 
when "pressed by hunger takes mice, lizards, insects, 
and vegetable substances. It makes holes in the earth, 
or takes possession of those of other animals. 

Having spoken of those animals which subsist on 
warm-blooded animals, we now turn to those which 
feed on insects; thus nature fills all space. What 
escapes the bats in the air, falls as prey to those animals 
which hunt on the earth and in the water for insects. 
Such are the smallest mammals : thick-set, strong- 
bodied ; snouts trunk-like and long ; teeth perfect, sharp 
and cutting; limbs short; tail moderate. In these 
animals some of the senses are obtuse, while others 
are acute. They are very shy, and hide in holes and 
clefts of rocks : some live in the water, and others on 
trees ; in cold climates they sleep during the winter, in 



MAMMALIA. 19 

warm ones they are continually active ; under all cir- 
cumstances, they are very useful in destroying multitudes 
of insects and snails. 

c. The Hedgehog [Erinaceus Etiropceus). A very 
harmless creature, found about hedges, and called 
Hedgehog from its head and snout being somewhat 
like those of a hog. Its back is covered with prickles. 
It moves very slowly, and, when danger threatens, rolls 
itself into a ball, and presents a somewhat formidable 
appearance. It creeps about at night in quest of insects, 
small mammals, and birds ; also fruits and roots. 

d. The Common Shrew (Sorex araneus), though 
much feared by many people, is a harmless little 
creature, only ten inches in length and five in height 
(the female is a little longer). It has a small head, 
with truncated snout, broad short ears, and small eyes. 
Cats kill this animal, but refuse to eat it, on account of 
its disagreeable odor. 

e. The Water Shrew (Sorex fodiens) is a little larger 
than the preceding : black above and white below; it lives 
near the borders of rivers, and swims with great facility. 

f. The Pigmy Shrew t (Sorex pi gracilis) is of a 
grayish-brown color above, and white below. This is 
the smallest of the class of Mammalia ; it is found 
chiefly around the coast of the Adriatic Sea. 

g. The Common Mole (Talpa) digs subterranean 
galleries for its dwelling, and buries itself deeper and 
deeper in winter, but is never in a torpid state. It is 
furnished with strong spade-like fore legs, well adapted 
by their size and position for digging in the ground. 
The mole lives upon worms and insects, particularly 
the larvae of Beetles (improperly called white-worms), 



20 MAMMALIA. 

by which it renders great service to man. The eyes 
are extremely small, and concealed by the thick fur on 
the head ; external ears wanting ; however, it has a very 
large tympanum, and fine sense of hearing. The fur of 
the mole is soft, and was formerly used in the manu- 
facture of hats. 

Plate 11. 

The Bear (Ursus) is a large animal with stout limbs, 
short ears, small eyes, and short tail; the hair is very 
thick, which makes it look larger than it really is. In 
walking, it puts the flat soles of the feet upon the earth ; 
the strong paws have five toes with very sharp claws ; 
the teeth seem made rather for vegetable than animal 
food. The senses of smell and hearing predominate. 
What the larger kind of bears lack in agility is made 
up in strength and endurance. The Bear is still found 
in the uncivilized countries of Europe, Asia, and 
America. 

a. The Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) inhabits the 
thick forests of North America, where it lives mostly on 
vegetable substances, although it is said to attack herds 
of cattle, and tear the strongest of them to pieces. 
Generally, it is a quiet, harmless animal, which, in spite 
of its enormous size, is less to be feared than the 
European Bear, somewhat smaller. It is distinguished 
by its lustrous black coat, and the yellowish color of its 
muzzle. 

b. The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is rather smaller 
than the Black Bear. It is found in the mountainous 
countries of Europe and Asia, and attains the height of 
six feet. It walks slowly, and leads a solitary life in 



MAMMALIA. 



21 



the thick forests ; its brown fur changes color with age 
and climate. When young, it lives chiefly on vegetable 
food ; with age, it becomes ferocious ; ruler of the dis- 
trict in which it lives, it is feared by all animals. The 
somewhat dangerous hunting for this Bear begins when 
it is fat, and prepared to retire for its winter's sleep ; 
it pays well, as the meat is a delicacy, and the fur 
valuable. 

c. The Ice, or Polar, Beau (Ursus maritimus) has a 
smooth, white fur and long head. One was shot which 
measured eight feet, and weighed one thousand six 
hundred pounds. 

The Ice Bear belongs to the northern hemispheres, 
and inhabits exclusively the icy coasts of the polar seas ; 
it is sometimes carried to Norway and Iceland by- blocks 
of ice. As awkward as it looks, it runs swiftly, and 
has no superior in swimming ; it is a bold animal, con- 
fiding in its own strength and fearing no danger ; it lives 
on fish, seals, walruses, and whatever the sea and coast 
offer. 

d. The Raccoon {Procxjon lotor), contrary to its 
giant-like relatives, is a neat animal two feet long, with- 
out the ten-inch tail, and one foot high. Generally, it 
remains lying in hollow trees during the day, and comes 
out at twilight in search of fruits, insects, and worms. 
It has the peculiar habit of washing its food when not 
pressed by hunger. 

Plate 12. 



a. The Glutton QGulo borealis) has, in form and 
manner of living, much resemblance to the bears, with 



22 MAMMALIA. 

which it was formerly classed ; but the Glutton is in 
reality a great heavy Marten, with thick-set body, 
arched on the back, short neck and short strong legs ; 
the five-toed paws are armed with sharp claws ; the 
tail is short and bushy ; it is from two and a half to three 
feet long and one and a half feet high. The Glutton, in 
spite of its ominous name, eats no more or less than it 
needs. In its inhospitable home, which extends over the 
north part of the earth, it lives on whatever it can get, 
— marmots, white grouse, &c. ; also reindeer and elks, 
on whose back it jumps from the trees. It is not agile in 
its motions, but enduring; the skin is valuable as fur. 

b. The Badger (Meles vulgaris) is brown above and 
black below ; head white, with a black line on each side. 
The tail is short; and the long hair covers its legs, so 
that the body seems very near the earth. The Badger 
makes two entrances to its burrow, which it furnishes 
with straw, dried leaves, and moss, and keeps extremely 
neat. It feeds on roots, fruits, insects, and mice; and 
leads a solitary life in its artistic, comfortable structure 
under the earth, where it sleeps away the whole winter 
with slight interruptions. It seeks its food in the night. 

Marsupials. — The Marsupials are all confined to 
Australia, with the adjacent islands, and America. 

c. The Opossum (Didelphis) reaches the size of a 
domestic cat ; has a short, thick neck, and clumsy, heavy 
body. This animal has received the name of Pedimane 
on account of the peculiar construction of its hind feet, 
which somewhat resemble a hand. The female has a 
pouch or pocket (formed by a fold of the abdomen), 
where she puts her little ones, which have scarcely a 
distinct form at their birth. Here they remain until 



* MAMMALIA. 23 

fully developed, when they leave the pouch, into which 
they return if danger threatens. The Opossum is a 
nocturnal animal ; it feeds on birds, and sometimes finds 
its way into poultry-yards and kills the fowl. It is 
very dextrous in climbing, and frequently holds itself 
suspended by its prehensile tail to watch its prey. The 
Opossum is a native of America. 

d. The Kangaroo (Macropus) is one of the largest 
of the family, also the largest animal of Australia. 
An old male in a sitting posture is as tall as a man ; 
its body is eight feet, tail two feet and a half long. It 
is much hunted by the natives and by the English with 
Kangaroo dogs, for its beautiful fur and savory meat ; 
on that account it retires farther and farther from the 
coast of New South Wales, where it was first discovered. 
It becomes easily accustomed to European vegetable 
food, and, when well cared for, will live fifteen years in 
confinement. 

Gnawing animals, Rodentia. It is only necessary 
to look into the mouth of these animals to recognize 
them immediately. In each jaw they have two chisel- 
shaped incisors, between which and the molars there is a 
wide space without teeth. The neck is short and thick, 
eyes large and prominent ; the organs of sense are well 
developed, but their intellectual capacities are small. 
In regard to food, they play a great part in the economy 
of nature, by eating of all kinds of vegetable substances ; 
moreover, they are spread over all the earth, and mul- 
tiply astonishingly. 

Porcupines are great gnawers ; they are distinguished 
by their thick-set body, quilled skin, and grunting voice. 
They inhabit the temperate and warm climates of the 



24 MAMMALIA. 

Old and New World. Some are short tailed, and live 
on the earth, during the daytime, however, in holes ; 
others have a long tail, and climb trees. They feed on 
fruits and roots. 

e. The Porcupine (Hystrix cristatus) is two feet 
long and about nine inches high. It has a long mane 
of stiff bristles. Its quills, mixed with bristles, are set 
loose in the skin, so that many fall out when the animal 
shakes its skin ; this circumstance has given rise to the 
saying that the animal throws his quills against an 
enemy. The Porcupine is found in the north of 
Africa, the south of Italy, and in Greece. Its food 
consists of roots, which it seeks only at night. It is 
easily kept in confinement; but is a stupid, lazy 
animal. 

/. The Guinea Pig QCavia) was taken from South 
America to Europe, where it has become domesticated ; 
it is no longer to be found wild in its original home. 
The form and color of this animal, as well as its won- 
derful fecundity, are generally known. It is neither a 
pig, nor does it come from Guinea. 

Plate 13. 

a. The Agouti (Dasyprocta aguti) resembles the 
Hare, from which it can be distinguished by its short 
ears and the form of its feet ; the front ones are short, 
and have four toes, hinder ones twice as long, with three 
toes. The shining, rough hair is reddish-yellow, mixed 
with dark brown. 

The Agouti lives in the northern part of South 
America. It is quick in its movements, cautious, and 



MAMMALIA. 25 

shy. Its food is roots, leaves, and grain. It is easily 
bred in Europe. 

b. The Hamster (Cricetus vulgaris) resembles a 
considerably plump mouse, with cheek-pouches, a thick 
body of a foot long, and a short, hairy tail. It is red- 
dish-brown above, and black below, with white feet. 
However, these colors are changeable. 

The Hamster is one of the most injurious of animals, 
carrying off large quantities of grain into its hole, which 
is sometimes seven feet deep. This unsocial creature is 
a perfect miser, not allowing even its mate to enter its 
storehouse. The Hamster is very common in sandy 
plains, from the north of Germany to Siberia. Great 
pains are taken to extirpate Hamsters, and their num- 
bers would be much more considerable if they did not 
wage continual war upon each other. 

c. The Marmot, or Mountain Eat (Arctomys mar- 
mottci), inhabits the Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathian 
Mountains, and even the highest points immediately 
below the region of perpetual snow, where it sleeps 
away more than two-thirds of the year in its well-pro- 
tected winter-quarters. In summer, it descends farther 
down the mountains, and feeds on roots and grass. 
Notwithstanding its foresight, it is persecuted by man, 
who shoots it in summer, and digs it out of its hole in 
winter. The flesh is savory, and the fur soft and warm. 
The American Marmot is called Woodchuck and Ground 
Hog. 

Squirrels of various kinds are found all over the 
earth, with the exception of New Holland, and are the 
prettiest and liveliest of the Rodents. The Squirrel 
has a delicate head and large eyes ; rather long, hairy 

3 



26 MAMMALIA. 

tail ; the hind legs longer than the fore legs. They 
live in holes in the earth, and chase each other from 
tree to tree. Those of the colder climates wander 
south, or sleep through the winter. 

d. The Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is an ornament to 
forest-trees wherever found. Their tufted ears and the 
bushy tail, which they throw over the back while sitting 
on their hind legs, give them a peculiarly handsome 
appearance. Agile as monkeys, they spring from tree 
to tree, using their tail as a sort of rudder ; their color, 
differing according to country and season, is of every 
shade, from a reddish-brown to black. They sleep 
away the nights, rainy days, and nearly the whole win- 
ter ; for the latter, they provide themselves with a store 
of nuts, &c. Their nests are similar to those of the 
Magpie and Jay; sometimes they sleep in hollow trees. 
Their chief enemy is the Marten. 

The Dormice (Myoxus). These have great similari- 
ty, in the structure of their bodies, to Squirrels ; but 
differ in the manner of living ; in the number of verte- 
brae and ribs ; beside, they have a more pointed and 
mouselike head, and a double rowed, bushy tail. Un- 
like the Squirrels, which are lively in the daytime, they 
lead a nocturnal life in search of fruits and seeds, and 
hide themselves in holes and crevices of the rocks 
during the day; they also sleep in the winter. They 
are found in the temperate zones. 

e. ..The Dormouse (Myoxus glis) is chiefly at home 
in the south and east of Europe, where it chooses the 
dry oak and beech forests. It measures eleven inches 
from nose to tail, which is five inches long. Dormice 
are pretty little animals, with soft fur and hairy and 



MAMMALIA. 27 

iufted tail ; color, ash-gray above, shaded down to 
white. The old Romans kept them by hundreds, to be 
fattened for the tables of the rich ; even now they are 
hunted, partly for their flesh, partly for their fur. 

The real Mice are the most numerous family of the 
small Rodentia, and have become more injurious than 
most other gnawers on account of their great numbers. 
The Mice have a pointed head, with large eyes 'and 
broad ears. Their body is generally slender, and they 
have fine, smooth hairy coats ; the tail is long or short, 
hairy or naked ; feet, delicate, five-toed and sharp- 
clawed. Mice inhabit all the countries of the earth; 
they can exist wherever vegetables are to be found. 
They follow man everywhere, and are sly gnawers, 
gifted with sharp senses. They are persecuted because 
they destroy so much food. 

f. The Field Mouse (JMus arvalis) is one of the 
most injurious of the Rodentia ; it is five and a half 
inches long, of a yellowish-gray color above, and dirty 
white below ; it lives in the fields, where it builds pas- 
sage-ways and chambers under the ground to store up 
grain, nuts, &c, for the winter; it comes into human 
habitations to eat of the food kept in cellars. The Field 
Mice increase enormously in dry seasons ; driven by 
hunger, they emigrate in large numbers, and even swim 
across rivers. 

g. The Domestic Mouse (Mus musculus) was, even 
in the oldest times, a too much attached companion of 
man; at present, there is scarcely a spot on earth 
inhabited by him where it is not to be found. In spite 
of its nibbling and gnawing, no one, who observes its 
graceful movements and cleanly habits, can really hate 



28 MAMMALIA. 

it. The fecundity of the Mouse is enormous : a single 
pair multiplies to thirty in one year ; for which reason 
man is obliged to put a stop to such increase, — - a task in 
which he is aided by the cat, weasel, marten, eagle, owl, 
&c. The Mouse is an intelligent, sly, little animal, with 
acute senses, among which hearing is the most promi- 
nent. 

A. The Black Rat (Mus rattus), one of our most 
noxious vermin, is said to have originated in the East. 
It is a famous burrower, eating its way through almost 
any substance. Rats are very destructive, and are diffi- 
cult to destroy, when once they have made an entrance 
into a house. 

The Brown, or Norway, Rat (Mus decumanus), a 
little larger than the former, follows man everywhere ; 
indeed, rats are at home in all human habitations ; they 
live in society, but often make w r ar upon and kill each 
other. 

i. The Wood Mouse (Mus syhaticus) is a little 
larger than the Domestic Mouse. It is of a grayish- 
brown color above, and white below. Although it does 
much injury in fields and woods, it is not confined to 
them, but makes its way into houses, where it eats of all 
that kitchen and cellar offer. Wood Mice often emi- 
grate from one country to another, and are said to march 
in straight lines. 

Jc. The Blind Mouse (Spalax typhlus) is distin- 
guished by its large head; broad paws, with strong 
claws ; absence of tail, and, more than all, by the 
smallness of its eyes, which are covered by skin. It 
is found chiefly in Hungary, Russia, and Western 
Asia. 



MAMMALIA. 29 

Hares (Lepores) are spread over all the earth, with 
the exception of New Holland, and are too well known 
to need description. 

a. The Common Hare (JLepus timidus) is about two 
and a quarter feet long, with a short up-turned tail. It 
has large, timid eyes, very long ears, and long hind 
le^s. It is colored verv much of the same hue as that 
of the brownish-gray places where it conceals itself. 
Its flesh is savory, and its skin much used by hatters. 
During the winter, it lives in the woods ; during sum- 
mer and autumn, in the fields. Notwithstanding the 
Hare is hunted, not only by man, but by foxes and birds 
of prey, it increases rapidly. It is common in Central 
Europe, and the western part of Asia. 

b. The White, or Changing, Hare (Lepus variabilis) 
is somewhat smaller than the Field Hare, its head is 
rounder, ears shorter, hind legs longer, and the soles of 
its feet more hairy. This Hare turns white to the black 
tips of the ears, as soon as the first snow falls ; in spring, 
it becomes gray again. 

Like all Alpine animals, it is timid and shy. It 
inhabits the high mountains of the south of Europe. 

c. The Rabbit (Lepus cuniculus) is every way 
smaller than the Hare : in a wild state, it is of a red- 
dish-gray ; when tame, its color is variable. It appears 
to have originated in Spain, but is spread throughout 
Europe and North America. Rabbits multiply prodi- 
giously ; they are great burrowers, and hence their Latin 
name of Cuniculus, from which comes their popular 
name of Coney. 

The Beaver forms a family in itself. 

d. The Beaver (Castor jibe?') has a wide scale-cov- 

3* 



30 MAMMALIA. 

ered tail and webbed feet. This creature is quite at 
home in the water. It is found in lonely, damp places, 
near lakes and rivers, in the north of Europe and in 
North America. Its fine fur and size make it a valu- 
able fur-producing animal. It has under its tail two 
large glandulous pouches, containing a viscid secretion 
of strong and penetrating odor, much employed in medi- 
cine under the name of Castor. The Beaver constructs 
huts for its winter residence, and forms dams across 
streams of water. 

e. The Muskrat (Fiber zibethtcus) has a long tail, 
fur of a reddish-gray color. It is about a foot in length, 
and resembles a Rat. Like the Beaver, it has two 
glands under its tail, which secrete a fluid having a 
strong odor of musk. It lives on the borders of rivers 
and lakes in North America ; and, like the Beaver, it 
constructs huts in which to pass the winter. 

Plate 15. 

a. Edentata. The Ant-eater (Myrmecophaga), 
has a long muzzle, terminated by a small circular 
mouth, a handsome mane running along its back, and a 
long, tufted tail. It has no teeth. Its tongue is from 
three to four inches in length, and can be stretched half 
a foot out of its mouth. This singular animal feeds on 
ants and termites, introducing its long, sticky tongue 
into their nests ; when it is covered with ants, it draws 
it out quickly, and swallows all the insects at once. 
Ant-eaters are mostly found in Paraguay, where they . 
prove to be very useful animals in destroying the nests 
of ants and termites, with their long, sharp claws. 



MAMMALIA. 31 

b. The Duck-billed Quadruped (Omithorlxynchm 
paradoxus) attains the length of twenty inches, includ- 
ing the tail, which is broad and flat. It has a beaver- 
like body, with thick, reddish-brown fur. It has but four 
teeth, and those are without roots, and in the back part 
of the mouth. The external ear is also wanting. This 
curious animal lives in New Holland, on the borders 
of marshes and rivers. It constructs subterranean gal- 
leries from twenty to fifty feet long, from which it goes 
out into the mud in search of insects. 

c. The Scaly Pangolin (Man-is). The head of this 
animal is short and thick ; trunk, broad ; tail, almost as 
long as the body. The Pangolin is covered with scales, 
and has long and very strong nails ; when full grown, 
it measures about four feet. It is a native of Central 
Africa. 

d. The Armadillo (Dasypus) has upon its back six, 
and sometimes seven, movable rows of plates, forming 
a sort of cuirass ; the part of the body which is free 
from the plates is covered with a warty, wrinkled skin. 
Behind the neck, and between the rows of plates, are 
stiff bristles. This animal inhabits Central and South 
America. It digs holes in the earth, and eats worms, 
insects, fruits, and leaves. Its flesh is edible. 

e. The Sloth (Bradtjpiis) has claws so strong, that 
when clinging to the branch of a tree it is almost 
impossible to bring it away. Its fur is ash-gray, or 
grayish-brown; on either side of the back are broad 
brown stripes running down to the tail. It sleeps sus- 
pended to the branch of a tree. It is found in the great 
forests of Brazil. 



32 MAMMALIA. 



Plate 16. 

a. The Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros indicus) : a character- 
istic specimen of the Pachydermata, or thick-skinned 
quadrupeds, and so named from the Greek words, signi- 
fying nose and horn. That figured on the plate is the 
Indian Rhinoceros ; it is easily recognized by the single 
horn, and by the plaited skin. The African species 
have two horns and smooth skins. 

This animal can force its way through the thickest 
and most thorny brushwood ; and, when roused to 
anger, is a formidable assailant. It lives on vegetable 
substances, which it can hook up with the prolongation 
of its upper lip, acting somewhat like a small proboscis. 
Intellectually, it is far beneath the Elephant; the 
clumsy creature lies for hours in a pond, or moves slug- 
gishly forward ; but is easily excited, when, in blind 
fury, it tramples down all that comes in its way. 

b. The Elephant (Elephas) is the largest of terres- 
trial animals ; its ordinary height is from ten to fourteen 
feet. It inhabits the warmest countries of Asia and 
Africa, and lives on vegetables. There are two species 
of elephants : the Indian Elephant, which is domesti- 
cated, and is used as a beast of burden ; and the 
African, which cannot be tamed, but is hunted for ivory. 
The Elephant lives in troops ; feeds on leaves and 
branches, which it breaks off with the trunk ; and is, if 
not irritated, a harmless, peaceable creature. In the 
service of man, as a domestic animal, for which it has 
been used since the earliest times, it displays a wonder- 
ful intelligence and reflection, equalled only by the dog. 



MAMMALIA. 33 

By means of the trunk, it can root up a pine, throw 
down a tiger, and take up the smallest object. It is 
said that one of these animals, in a domestic state, eats 
daily one hundred pounds of rice, and as much hay. 

Plate 17. 

a. The Tapir (Tapirus suillus) (T. Americanus). 
This animal is found in South America. The female, 
which is about six feet long, is larger and stronger than 
the male. Its dark-brown color is somewhat lighter 
on the breast and neck. Its mane is short and stiff. 
The Tapir is a harmless, peaceful animal, furnished 
with a trunk-like upper lip ; its manner of living is 
said to resemble that of the Hog. It subsists principally 
on fruits and herbs. 

b. The Hippopotamus, or River Horse (Hippopo- 
tamus amphibius), is from ten to twelve feet long, and 
weighs some two thousand pounds ; its legs are not 
more than two feet long ; skin, bluish-brown and hair- 
less ; head and snout, large ; eyes and ears, small. 
The Hippopotamus lives on the borders of rivers 
in the central and southern parts of Africa. It re- 
mains in the reeds or in the water during the day, 
and swims and plunges with great facility. At night, 
it overruns the country, making great havoc in the 
millet and rice plantations. It is naturally peaceable ; 
but, when provoked, attacks its enemy with great fury. 
The skin is so thick that a musket-ball cannot pene- 
trate it. The flesh is good to eat; the canine teeth 
furnish the most beautiful ivory, and the skin makes 
good leather. 



34 MAMMALIA. 

c. The Domestic Hog (jSus domestictis). It would 
be superfluous to give a description of an animal, every- 
where so generally known as the Hog. 

d. The Wild Hog, or Boar (Sus ferns), is found in 
Europe, Asia, and the north of Africa. It is a very 
strong animal, and, in comparison with the Domestic 
Hog, is very agile. Its head is longer and more 
pointed ; tusks, particularly in the male, are longer and 
sharper ; color, a very dark brown. The Wild Hog 
lives, in larger or smaller herds, in thick woods awa,y 
from the habitations of men ; but, when it goes out at 
night, it does much injury in the fields, trampling down 
and rooting up more than it eats. The flesh, skin, and 
bristles are all used. 

Plate 18. 

Ruminantia. — This order comprises all those ani- 
mals which masticate their food the second time, or 
which chew the cud. 

a. The Dromedary (Dromedarius) has but one 
hump ; its hair is fine and flaxy, gray or brown ; its 
body is about five feet long. This animal is found in 
the north of Africa, in Arabia and Persia, everywhere 
in a domesticated state. It has been acclimated in 
Tuscany for two hundred years. 

b. The Camel (Camelus bactrianus) has two humps 
on its back. It is larger and stronger than the Drome- 
dary. It is employed in Northern and Central Asia, its 
native land, as a beast of burden. The Camel is not 
found in Arabia or Africa. It is highly prized by the 
nomad tribes, to whom it is almost indispensable in 



MAMMALIA. 35 

crossing the sandy deserts ; besides, its flesh is savory, 
milk good, and wool used for clothing. 

Plate 19. 

a. The Lama (Auchenia lama), when wild, is about 
the size of a Stag; its hair is 'long and brown, but 
changes color when domesticated. It is found on the 
mountains of Peru in herds of two or three hundred. 
The Lama is much esteemed on account of its flesh, 
but more as a beast of. burden, in which respect it is 
unsurpassed. It can travel six or eight leagues a day 
over steep mountain paths, with a hundred pounds 
upon its back, and is satisfied with the herbs it finds on 
its way. 

t b. The Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus) is an ele- 
gant animal, the size of a Roe. It has a fine head 
without antlers, short neck, and slender legs. Its fur 
is reddish-brown, with long hair on the side. The 
male is distinguished by its long canine teeth, which 
grow two or three inches beyond its mouth ; and by a 
pouch under its belly, which contains from an ounce to 
an ounce and a half of the well-known article called 
musk. This extremely timid and agile animal lives in 
the mountains of China, Thibet, and the central and 
southern parts of Siberia. 

c. The Elk (Cervas dices). A peculiar and impos- 
ing-looking animal, which does not seem to belong to 
the present creation. It is from eight to eight and a 
half feet long, and six feet high; a giant among the 
Deer. The Elk has a thick, long muzzle; small, dull 
eyes, and long ass-like ears ; neck, strong and powerful ; 



36 MAMMALIA. 

body heavy, with feet proportionately large and strong. 
The full-grown male has powerful broadly palmated 
horns, thick and strong mane ; the color of the hair is 
brown. It runs rapidly, and if wounded defends itself 
with hoofs and antlers. The American Elk is called 
Moose. 

Plate 20. 

a. The Reindeer (Cervus tarandus) is smaller and 
fleeter than the Elk; its hoofs are broad and almost 
cow-like. Both sexes have antlers, those of the female 
being rather smaller than those of the male ; their large 
antlers are bent, and divided into many branches. The 
Reindeer is brown in summer, and almost white in 
winter. There is a great difference between those that 
live free in the mountains and those domesticated by, 
man : the latter are kept in large herds, and are, per- 
haps, the most useful of animals. They are used for 
draught and burden ; their milk is very nourishing ; 
their flesh, excellent ; their skin furnishes good fur and 
strong leather ; spoons and other utensils are made 
from their bones ; and their tendons and sinews are used 
for ropes and thread. These animals are generally 
very gentle ; they subsist on leaves, moss, and lichens. 
They are found in the northern parts of the Old and 
New World. 

b. and c. The Stag (Cervus elajjhus) is the most 
stately and handsomest of the European Deer ; seven 
feet in length, and four and a half feet in height. It has 
a slender body, elegant legs, and fine large antlers on a 
well-formed head. The old Stag sheds the antlers at 
the end of February ; the young ones, in March or May : 



MAMMALIA. 37 

five or six days after the new antlers come out, and are 
fully developed in from ten to twelve weeks. At first 
they are covered with a velvety skin, which, when dried, 
the Stag rubs off against the trees. This animal is 
spread over all Europe and a part of Asia. It feeds on 
herbs, leaves, fruits, &c. 

Plate 21. 

<2. The Common Fallow Deer (Cervus damd) is 
smaller than the Stag; a gentle and timid creature. 
The horns of the male are . broad, and fingered at the 
end, and there are two snags, or spurred branches, spring- 
ing from each in front. The color of the coat, in 
summer, is reddish-brown with white spots ; in winter 
it is dark-gray, but changes with the age of the animal. 
This Deer is common in Europe, but is supposed to 
have originated in Barbary. 

b. and c. The Roe (Cervus capreolus) is an elegant 
little creature, and very fleet. Although occasionally 
caught when young, and tamed, the Roe is never per- 
fectly subdued, always retaining more or less of its 
original wildness. They keep close to the shelter of 
woods and copses, and seldom venture, like other deer, 
into plains. Thirst alone induces them to leave their 
native woods, and go to some running stream. Hunt- 
ing this Deer is very profitable ; for, besides its flesh 
bringing a good price, its skin and horns are much 
used. 

&. The Klip Springer (Antilope oreotragus). The 
male is ornamented with short, straight, black horns, 
which stand perpendicularly on the head. ; it has no 

4 



38 MAMMALIA. 

board, and the tail is short. The Klip Springers are 
nimble and beautiful animals, found in the mountains 
of the Cape and Abyssinia, where they live like the 
Chamois, which they resemble, on odorous herbs; and, 
like it, spring from one cleft to another : they live in 
herds, and are hunted for their flesh and their skin. 

Plate g& 

a. The Giraffe (Camdopardalis) has short horns, 

covered by a velvety skin, and extremely long neck : its 
back is inclined, body short, skin whitish, spotted with 
yellow ; its fore legs are much longer than its hind ones ; 
eyes beautiful, and eyelids of a dark color. It is the 
tallest of all the mammiferous animals, and can reach 
eighteen feet high. The Giraffe is very gentle, and 
feeds on leaves and grass: its gait, in walking, is very 
awkward. It is a native of Central and Southern 
Africa : it is not easily acclimated, and therefore seldom 
seen in . il gardens and menageries. 

/>. The Chamois (AsUilope rupicaprd) is distinguished 
by its straight horns, which are suddenly bent back, like 
hoops, at the ends ; it has great resemblance to the Groat, 
only that its body is stouter and legs longer. Its length 
is three feet, ten inches; height, two feet, four inches. 
Both sexes are perfectly alike in color and form ; but 
the male becomes stouter, and has larger horns. As 
with other mountain animals, for example the Alpine 
Hare, the color of the Chamois changes according to 
the season, and is wonderfully adapted to its surround- 
ings : therefore the general color in summer is a dingy 
reddish-brown, somewhat lighter under the body ; in 



MAMMALIA. 39 

winter, on the contrary, it is dark-brown above, and 
white below. The Chamois needs this protection from 
nature ; for in spite of their acute senses, carefulness, 
and precaution, astonishing agility in springing and 
climbing, their numbers have greatly diminished by the 
persecution of animals and men. Formerly there were 
herds of forty, now there are seldom more than twenty, 
seen together. Such herds are assembled only in 
autumn, at other seasons the sexes live apart. The 
Chamois are found upon the Alps, the mountains of 
Greece, Dalmatia, the Carpathians, and the mountains 
in the south of France. 

c. The Gazelle (Antilojpe dorcas). This beautiful 
inhabitant of the desert and steppes of North Africa 
has always been considered by the Arabs (who are so 
much in sympathy with nature, and susceptible to its 
beauties) as the perfect picture of beauty ; and, indeed, 
if we may judge by the reports of travellers, there can- 
not be a more attractive, agreeable, and impressive sight 
than a group of these lovely animals pasturing under 
the shadow of a mimosa. The eyes of the Gazelle are 
large and expressive, and its noble head is ornamented 
with spiral horns in the form of a lyre. Its neck is 
long and slender; its nicely rounded body rests upon 
fine, sinewy legs, with elegant little hoofs. The red- 
dish-yellow color of its back is separated from the white 
underneath by a brownish-black line, as seen in the 
picture. This animal, though beautiful when at rest, is 
still more so when leaping light and nimbly over the 
desert. The Arabs hunt this animal, for which their 
horses are scarcely a match in fleetness, with greyhounds 
and falcons ; also with the hunting leopard. 



40 MAMMALIA. 



Plate 23. 

a. The Bull (Bos taunts), (6.) The Cow (Bos 
taurus f.) are found everywhere, and their utility is 
generally known. The varieties of the common ox are 
numerous. 

c. The Musk Ox (Bos moschatus) (Ovibos moschatus) 
is the smallest of this family, and bears more resem- 
blance to a sheep than an ox ; its legs are short, and its 
body is covered with thick, long, brown hair ; its horns, 
which are bent downward and then upward, are two 
feet long, and an extremely dangerous weapon. It lives 
in the northern part of North America and Greenland ; 
feeds on grass in summer ; and in winter, on moss and 
lichens. It can climb rocks with the facility of a goat. 
Its flesh has a strong odor of musk, and is not good for 
food. 

d. Zebu (Bos zebu). This holy ox of the Hindoos 
is strikingly marked by the large hump over its shoul- 
ders, and its short, flat horns. The Zebu is a gentle, 
good-natured animal, although much livelier in its 
movements than the common ox. 

Plate 24. 

a. The Buffalo (Bos bubalus). The body of the 
Buffalo is full and round ; neck short, head broad, horns 
immensely strong and bent; legs of middling length, 
very strong ; tail rather long. Its dark-brown hair is 
sparse, except upon the shoulders, the front of the neck, 
and the tuft of the tail. This animal originated in the 



MAMMALIA. 41 

East Indies ; has been naturalized in Asia, Africa, Tur- 
key, Hungary, and Italy. It makes an imposing and 
threatening appearance, and is an enemy not to be de- 
spised, as it is able to cope with the tiger. When 
tamed, it is so docile that a child may lead it ; it draws 
immense burdens ; furnishes excellent milk and savory 
meat. Bathing is indispensable to the domestic as well 
as the wild Buffalo. The American Buffalo is the Bison 
(Bos Americanus). 

b. and c. The Goat (Capra domestica) differs so 
much in size, color of the hair, and length and form of 
the horns, that it is difficult to tell whence it came. It 
is a very intelligent and useful animal ; sure-footed and 
hardy, and quite at home among rocks ; as in the sheep, 
all parts of it are useful. Goat's milk is thicker and 
richer than that of the cow. 

d. The Stetnbock, or Ibex (JEgoceros ibex) (Capra 
ibex), is one of the most perfect of goats ; its manner of 
living, beauty of figure, and strength of limb represent 
the title of the goats as mountain animals. A full- 
grown buck is from four and a half to five feet long, 
two to three feet high, and weighs about two hundred 
pounds. Both sexes have handsomely curved horns, 
which bend backward ; those of the male grow to three 
feet in length. These horns, which are very large, 
square in front, and marked with transverse and promi- 
nent ridges, give this goat an imposing appearance. Its 
color changes ; in summer, its hair is short, and of a 
reddish-gray color ; in winter, it is fawn- colored, thicker 
and longer. The Ibex surpasses even the Chamois in 
watchfulness and* prudence, boldness and agility ; and 

yet they are so much reduced in number that only a few 

4* 



4£ MAMMALIA. 

are now found on Mt. Rosa, whilst, formerly, they 
roamed in numbers over the German and Swiss Alps. 
They keep together in small herds ; lie quietly during 
the day, on the most precipitous and highest points of 
rocks ; and descend in the evening to pasture on Alpine 
herbs. 

Plate 25. 

a. The Wild Goat (JEgoceros cegagrus) (Caipra 
cegagrus). The size of the body and length of the 
horns of the Wild Goat are about the same as those of 
the Ibex, for which it is often shown in menageries; 
but the horns are quite different, and both sexes hav.e a 
thick beard and greater variety of coloring. This Goat 
is found in herds on the mountains of Persia and other 
mountains of the eastern hemisphere. The balls, which 
are found from time to time in the stomach of the Wild 
Goat, are considered, by some tribes, as an important 
medicine, and are the chief object in hunting it. This 
is regarded as the parent stock of all the numerous do- 
mestic varieties. 

b. The Cashmere Goat (Capra Thibetensis) ; the 
most celebrated of all for its fine wool. The whole 
body of this Goat, except the head and ears, is covered 
with long, silky hair, u under which is a delicate gray 
wool, about three ounces of which are obtained from a 
single individual ; and it is of this wool that the re- 
nowned Cashmere shawls are made." The length of 
this animal is about four and a half feet ; height, two 
feet ; the color is either a yellowish- white, or brown, or 
black. The most valuable are the pure silver-white ani- 
mals. It is everywhere kept in Thibet and the neigh- 



MAMMALIA. 43 

boring countries. Since 1819, it has been introduced 
into France ; it thrives* well, and furnishes a wool not 
inferior in quality to that of Thibet. 

c. The Argali (Ovis argali) (Ovis ammori) is a 
powerful, strong-limbed Sheep, of six feet in length and 
four feet in height. The curled horns of the male are 
from three to four feet long, and weigh from thirty to 
fifty pounds ; those of the female are smaller and 
straighter. A large individual of this species weighs 
from three hundred to three hundred and fifty pounds. 
It is found in Eastern Asia, and an allied species on 
the Rocky Mountains of America, where it lives in fam- 
ilies. Its manners resemble those of the Chamois. 

d. The Nepal Goat (Ovis nepalensis) (Capra nepa- 
lensis) is rather smaller than the Domestic Goat ; it has 
longer legs and shorter hair, and resembles the Sheep. 
Its head is homelier than that of any other kind of 
Goat ; horns and beard generally wanting. This Goat 
has been known since the earliest times in its home, 
Upper Egypt, and can be seen in most of the zoological 
gardens. 

Plate 26. 

a. The Sardinian Sheep (Ovis musimon) differs from 
the Argali in being smaller, as well as in the small- 
ness of the horns of the female. Its length, including 
the four-inch tail, is four feet ; height, two and a half 
feet ; its hair is soft, and reddish on the back and white 
below. These sheep live in herds of forty to fifty under 
the guidance of a strong wether, and pasture on the 
rocky mountains of Sardinia and Corsica ; they are very 
strong, and agile in springing and climbing. Timid and 



44 MAMMALIA. 

shy, they have just prudence enough to avoid threaten- 
ing danger. 

6. and c. The Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries) differs 
from the Wild Sheep by its curled hair, called wool, 
and by its long and pendent tail. The character of the 
Domestic Sheep differs also : the Wild Sheep are lively 
and gay ; they act, in a certain degree, with considera- 
tion ; while the tame Sheep is a stupid creature, indif- 
ferent to every thing, and does not even know how to 
help itself out of danger : it would placidly run into its 
own destruction, but for the shepherd and his faithful 
dogs. The profit derived from sheep is great : beside 
the flesh and skin, so much in demand, they are kept 
for manure and wool. 

d. The Merino Sheep (Ovis merino), a middle-sized, 
strong built animal, characterized by the length and 
fineness of its wool. The Merino Sheep is found in 
other countries beside Spain ; crossings with common 
sheep have produced a race, for example in Germany, 
whose wool is said to be as fine as that of the true 
Merino. 

Plate 27. 

Equidce, or Horse Family. — This family comprises 
animals which have only one apparent toe and a single 
hoof to each foot ; although they have under the skin 
spurs representing a toe on each side of their metatarsus 
and metacarpus. The genus Equus comprises all the 
species. 

a. The Horse (Equus caballus) is the largest and 
most beautiful of the single-hoofed animals. It is 
characterized by small, pointed ears, loose mane, and 



MAMMALIA. 45 

long, hairy tail. The varieties of the Horse are very 
numerous, but are all regarded as one species. The 
contrast between a heavy Burgundy Horse and an 
English Racer, between an Arabian Horse and a Scotch 
Pony, is very striking. All are noble, intelligent 
animals, deserving the love of man; but the most 
beautiful of them all is the Arabian Horse, illustrated 
on our plate ; next come the English race and hunting 
Horses ; then the Persian, Turkish, Hungarian, Span- 
ish, &c. 

The Horse no longer exists in a wild state, except 
in those countries where horses once domesticated have 
been set at liberty, as in South America and Russian 
Asia. These wild horses have rather gained than lost 
in swiftness and endurance ; but their heads are thicker, 
and they have lost in beauty. 

b. The Ass (Equus asinus). In order to appreciate 
the near relationship of the Ass to the Horse, we must 
not take the neglected animal as shown in our illustra- 
tion for a standard. In Asia, where it originated, it is 
a beautiful animal : there are also fine Asses in Spain 
and Southern Italy, which bring nearly as high a price 
as the Horse. The Ass has long ears, and a tuft at 
the end of its tail. The Mule is the offspring of the 
Ass and the Horse. Although the Northern Ass is not 
so lively and easily guided as the Southern, he is, at 
least, not a stupid beast (as he is often called), but 
rather cunning, and merits our respect for his patience, 
endurance, and frugality. 

c. The Zebra (Equus zebra) resembles the Ass; but 
is rather larger, and regularly marked throughout with 
black and white transverse stripes. 



46 MAMMALIA. 

d. The Quagga (Equas quagga), of Africa, "re- 
sembles both Horse and Zebra, though differing in 
specific characters. The neck and shoulders are brown, 
striped with white ; tail and legs whitish ; ears smaller 
than in the Zebra. The voice of the Quagga is like 
the barking of a dog." 

Plate 28. 

Phocidce, or Seal Family. — Amphibious animals 
whose home is in the sea. 

a. The Common Seal {Phoca vitulincL) abounds in 
the cool and frigid regions ; its head is roundish, and 
doglike in form and expression ; neck, short; body, elon- 
gated, muscular, and flexible ; finlike feet, and toes 
terminated with pointed nails; length from four to six 
feet; color, yellowish-gray above, more or less shaded 
and spotted with brown, and dirty white below. The 
Seal is in all large zoological gardens, where it shows 
itself to be an extremely intelligent animal, easily tamed, 
and understanding every sign of its keeper ; unfortu- 
nately, however, it cannot live long in confinement. Its 
food is fish, of which it eats a considerable quantity at 
once. 

b. The Sea Bear {Phoca ursina) has smaller ears, 
and longer neck and limbs than a Seal. It might be 
taken for a land animal, as it crawls so quickly, that a 
man can escape it only by going up hill. The Sea 
Bear is from six to eight feet long ; its body is covered 
with coarse, thickly-set, dark-colored hair above, and 
yellowish-gray below. It is described as a courageous 
animal, especially in defending u its young. It is very 



MAMMALIA. 47 

serviceable to the inhabitants of Greenland, who make 
use of all parts of its body. 

c. The Sea Lion {JPhoca jubatti), from fifteen to 
twenty feet long. Its skin is fawn-color, and the male 
has a long bristly mane, like that of a Lion. It is found 
in the Pacific Ocean. Some natural historians describe 
them as shy and timid animals, yet defending themselves 
bravely when driven to extremities. 

d. The Walrus (Trichechus) of the Arctic regions 
is the size of the largest ox, and from fifteen to twenty 
feet long ; has two tusks weighing from fifteen to thirty 
pounds ; and is covered with short, brown hair : other- 
wise it resembles the Seals. The Walrus is stupid and 
lazy ; but when attacked, it develops its power, and 
defends its young with great courage. It is hunted 
for its skin, flesh, fat, and tusks, which are hard as 
ivory. 

The Sirenidct, or Siren Family, come between the 
Seals and the Whales. 

The Siren is a lazy, stupid animal ; feeds mostly on 
water-plants, and seldom goes on land. One of the 
best known is — 

e. The Man ati, or Lamantin (Trichechus manatus) ; 
it is from nine to ten feet long, and weighs from five to 
eight hundred pounds. It is characterized by a mova- 
ble, snoutlike upper lip. It is found in the rivers and 
on the Atlantic coasts of the warmest countries of 
America, where .it is zealously hunted for its skin and 
its flesh. 

The allied Dugong is a native of the East Indies. 



48 MAMMALIA. 



Plate 29. 

Bahmiidce, or Right Whale Family. — " This family 
comprises Whales which have no real teeth;. but the 
two sides of their upper jaw are furnished with rows of 
vertical horny plates, called whalebone, formed of a 
sort of fibrous horn, and which are fringed on their 
inner edges. This arrangement is adapted to the 
nature of the food of these Whales, which consists of 
small marine zoophytes, mollusks, and crustaceans." 

a. The Greenland Whale (Balcena mysticetus) is 
confined to the frigid regions, and is common to the 
North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. It attains 
the length of from fifty to seventy feet; the head is 
about one-third its whole length. From this species 
is obtained the flexible whalebone in slabs of from eight 
to ten feet in length ; one Whale yielding from six to 
eight hundred strips on each side of the palate. A 
single Whale sometimes yields more than one hundred 
tons of oil. 

b. The Sperm Whale, or Cachalot (Physeter macro- 
cephalus), is seventy feet long. The head constitutes 
one-third of the whole animal ; the upper part of this 
enormous head consists of large cavities, filled with an 
oil which becomes hardened as it cools, and which is 
called spermaceti. Ambergris is a concretion formed 
in the intestines of Sperm Whales, when affected by 
certain diseases. This animal has conical teeth in the 
under jaw, which fit into the cavities of the upper jaw. 
It inhabits deep, tropical, and temperate seas. 



MAMMALIA. 49 



Plate 30. 



a. The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is about 
twenty feet long. The male has a spirally-furrowed 
tusk ten feet long. As far as known, this animal in- 
habits the northern seas. It swims in companies, and is 
harmless. 

Z>. The Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) has a beaklike 
muzzle, and from forty to forty-seven pointed teeth on 
each side, both above and below. Its color is black 
above, and white beneath ; body, from six to ten feet 
long. Dolphins live in communities, and are celebrated 
for the velocity of their movements. They are found 
in all seas. 

The Grampus and Porpoise are nearly allied genera. 



BIRDS: AYES. 



Plate 1. — Birds of Prey. 

Vultures. — Beak, bent, hook-like; head, either 
naked or covered with down ; food, carrion ; sight, ex- 
tremely good; lazy and cowardly; they can fly very 
high. They inhabit warm countries, live in flocks, and 
are useful in eating carrion. 

a. The Carrion Vulture (Vultur (Neophron) perc- 
nopterus) is white, with black wings ; head and throat, 
naked, and of a yellowish color ; length, not quite two 
and a half feet. Its young are brown. This carrion 
bird is tolerated in the cities of Southern Europe, and 
in the East, as a scavenger. The Egyptians considered it 
a sacred creature. 

b. The White-headed Vulture (Vultur (Gyps) 
fulvus). The head and neck of this Vulture are white, 

other parts of the body a grayish-brown, bordering upon 
yellow; neck, surrounded by a collar of light-brown 
feathers ; it measures from tip to tip ten to twelve feet. 
It inhabits Africa and the countries of the Mediterranean, 
and often wanders into Germany. It is more generally 
diffused than any other Vulture. 

c. The Condor (Vultur (Sarcoramphus) gryphus) is 
the largest of all the birds of prey, four feet long, and 



BIRDS. 51 

having a spread of wing of ten to twelve feet. This 
gigantic bird sometimes soars away to the height of six 
miles, keenly surveying the surrounding country for its 
accustomed food. 

d. The Bearded Griffin, or Lammergeyer 
(Gypaetus harbatus) is orange-color, with brown back 
and wings, the latter striped with white; under its 
beak is a tuft of bristles. It inhabits Switzerland, Tyrol, 
and the south of Europe ; is a powerful robber, which 
attacks chamois, goats, sheep, &c, and has even carried 
off children. It measures ten feet, with spread wings, 
flies easily, and pounces, arrow-like, from an immense 
height upon the quiet pasturing animal. 

e. The Secretary Bird (Gypogeranus serpentarius) ; 
tarsi, extremely long ; toes, short ; tail, wedge-like ; 
color, a bluish-gray, with a tuft of black feathers on the 
back part of the head. It is three feet long ; inhabits 
Southern Africa. It catches serpents, lizards, &c. 

Plate 2. 

The Eagle and the Falcon (Falcd) have a short 
and strongly curved bill, the latter with a distinct tooth 
near the point; claws, large, strong, curved, and very 
sharp ; wings, pointed ; tail, long and wide. 

a. The Golden Eagle (Falco fulvus, Aquila chry- 
saetos). From the appearance, courage, and strength of 
this Eagle, it is called the king of birds. It inhabits the 
woods, and pounces upon hares, fawns, large birds, &c, 
for its prey. It builds its nest upon high trees or cliffs 
of rocks ; its eggs, of a dull whitish color, spotted with 
brown, are two in number, and three inches long. The 



52 BIRDS. 

plumage of this bird is brown : the female is three and 
a half feet long, and somewhat larger than the male. 
The European Golden Eagle and the American are by- 
some supposed to be the same species. 

b. The Erne, or great Sea Eagle (Falco (FLaliaetus) 
albicilla) ; plumage, grayish-brown; tail, white. It is 
found over all Europe and in Greenland; is thirty-five 
to forty inches long ; feeds on aquatic birds and fish in 
summer, and on all sorts of game in winter. It builds 
its nest upon high cliffs. 

c. The Serpent Eagle (Falco brachydactylus) ; toes 
and claws, short ; color, brown above and whitish below ; 
cere and feet, bluish; tail with three dark cross bands; 
length, two and a half feet. This bird lives in the 
south of Europe, and feeds on serpents. 

* d. The Kite (Falco milvus) (Milvus regalis) is two 
feet long; plumage, rust-color; head, whitish, dashed 
with black; tail, forked. The Kite flies slowly, turns 
for a long time in a circle without apparently moving its 
wings, and can fly very high. It builds its nest upon 
high trees ; catches hens, geese, mice, frogs, &c. , but is 
a lazy and cowardly bird. 

Plate 3. 

a. The Common Harrier, or Hen-Hawk {Falco 
(Circus) cyaneus). The old male is ash-gray, with 
white breast ; female and young are dark-brown above;* 
and white below. The Harrier is found in all Europe, 
North America, and Cuba. It feeds on mice and small 
birds. 

b. The Common Buzzard (Falco (Buteo) vulgaris) ; 



BIRDS. 53 

legs, yellow ; plumage, brown above, and spotted-white 
below. The Buzzard is a migratory bird ; and, although 
stupid and lazy, it is useful, as it lives on field-mice. 

c. The Osprey, or Fish-Hawk (Falco (Pandion) 
haliaetos), two feet long, is dark-brown above, and white 
below ; legs and toes, greenish-yellow ; bill, bluish. 
The Osprey lives in the neighborhood of ponds and 
rivers, and preys upon fish. Searching for food, it flies 
at moderate heights, and when it spies a fish, plunges 
perpendicularly into the water upon its prey, which it 
seizes with its strong claws. It builds its nest upon 
high trees ; it is said to be very mild in its disposition. 

The American Fish-Hawk is the P. Carolinensis. 

d. The Noble, or Iceland, Falcon (Falco islandicus), 
of Northern North America and Greenland, is about 
two feet long ; the plumage, white ; the upper parts with 
regular transverse bands of brown, and the under parts 
with a few narrow stripes of the same color. This 
species is the most highly esteemed by falconers. 

e. The Goshawk (Falco (Astur) palumbarius) is two 
feet long. It is grayish-brown above, and white below, 
when old ; when young, it is reddish-white below, with 
dark spots. It is spread over Europe and North 
America, and is very detrimental, as it seizes birds, 
pigeons, and partridges, even in flight. 

Plate 4. 

a. The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is about 
a foot and a half long; wings, fifteen inches; upper 
parts, bluish-ash color, with bands of brownish-black ; 
under parts', yellowish-white, with dark, circular spots, 

5* 



54 BIRDS. 

and bands of black upon the sides, under tail coverts 
and tibiae ; quills and tail, brownish-black ; bill, light- 
blue, and the legs and toes yellow. This Falcon is 
spread over the northern parts of the globe, and is a 
dangerous robber of pigeons, ducks, &c. The Euro- 
pean Peregrine Falcon was formerly much used in 
falconry. 

b. The Hobby (Falco (Hypotriorchis) subbuteo), one foot 
two inches long ; wings and tail, of the same length ; 
is bluish dark-brown, with thighs and rump fawn- color. 
It is very bold, and chases larks. 

c. The Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) (Tinnuncidus 
alaudarius) is of a beautiful brownish-red, and spotted 
above; the male has gray head and tail; this well- 
kiiown bird builds in towers and on rocks. It feeds on 
mice and small birds. 

d. The Sparrow-Hawk (Falco (Accipiter) nisus), of 
Europe, is eleven to twelve inches long, and the wing 
about seven inches. It feeds upon small birds, mice, 
and other small animals. It may be seen day after day 
in the same place, watching for its prey. 

e. The Singing Falcon (Falco musicus) inhabits the 
southern parts pf Africa, and is characterized by its 
singing, instead of croaking like other Falcons. 

Plate 5. 

The Owl Family. — This family comprises all the 
nocturnal birds of prey. They are characterized by a 
large head, large eyes, curved bill, nearly concealed by 
bristle-like feathers; large ear-cavities, and a catlike 
expression. This family is represented in all parts of 



BIRDS. 55 

the world. About one hundred and fifty species are 
known, some forty of which belong to America. With 
the exception of the Great-eared Owl, they are very 
useful birds, destroying a great number of mice. They 
build in ruins, towers, and high trees. 

a. The Great- eared Owl, or Eagle Owl (Strix bubo) 
{Bubo maximus), of all the northern countries of Europe, 
is from twenty-one to twenty-four inches long ; wing, 
about sixteen inches. It is distinguished from all other 
owls by its large size and conspicuous ear-tufts; its 
plumage is various ; its food consists of mice, snakes, 
frogs, and poultry. This Owl generally builds its nest 
on a branch not far from the trunk of the tree ; lays 
from three to six eggs, almost globular and white. 

b. The Long-eared, or Horned, Owl (Strix otus) 
{Otus vulgaris), is fourteen inches long, and has very 
long ear-tufts. It perches on a low tree or shrub from 
which it darts into the woods when disturbed. Its 
plaintive cry is repeated at intervals. It seldom builds 
a nest for itself, but rears its young in those which it 
finds. 

. c. The Tawny Owl (Strix (Syrnium) aluco). The 
pupil of this Owl' is dark-brown; plumage, sprinkled; 
male, gray ; female, rust-color. 

d. The White, or Barn, Owl (Strix flammed) ; plu- 
mage, gray, mixed with black and white above ; rusty- 
yellow, or whitish with black spots below. It is sixteen 
inches long, the wing thirteen inches. This Owl is 
found in all temperate North America, and frequently 
resorts to barns and old buildings in search of rats and 
mice. 

e. The Little Night Owl, or Naked-footed Owl (Strix 



56 BIRDS. 

passerina) ; plumage, yellowish-brown, with white spots. 
It lives in old buildings, is attracted by candlelight, and, 
on account of the piteous noise which it makes in the 
night, is considered by superstitious people as the har- 
binger of death. 

Plate 6. 

The Shrike Family. — Lanitjs. The birds of this 
family have a very strong bill, hooked at the tip ; both 
mandibles are notched, and there is a distinct tooth in 
the upper one. They not only catch insects, but mice 
and small birds, and have the singular habit of impal- 
ing upon twigs and thorns those which they cannot 
swallow at once. They can imitate the sounds of other 
birds. 

a. The Great, or Ash-colored, Shrike, or Butcher 
Bird (Lanius excubitor) ; above, gray ; below, white ; 
wings and tail, black. Although only about nine inches 
long, it attacks larger birds, even partridges. 

b. The Red-backed Shrike {Lanius spinitorquus) ; 
head, gray ; wings and back, reddish-brown. It imitates 
the melodies of other birds. It is an enemy to the May 
Beetles, impaling a number before it begins to eat them. 
It is found in Europe and Asia. 

c. The Lesser Shrike (Lanius minor) resembles the 
Great Shrike, but has a black forehead and fawn-colored 
belly. It builds its nest of odoriferous plants, and upon 
a strong branch. 

Scansores, or Climbers : with toes, two before and 
two behind. 

The Parrot Family comprises birds which have a 
thick, rounded bill, hooked at the tip, and the base cov- 






BIRDS. 57 

ered with a soft skin. Most of them are adorned with 
gorgeous plumage, and many can be trained to imitate 
the human voice, which makes them objects of particu- 
lar attention. The Parrot family are all children of the 
tropical climes, and are so well known by their brilliant 
dress and aptitude to learn, that a farther description is 
unnecessary. They are known as parrots, macaws, 
cockatoos, and parroquets. 

d. The Red and Blue Macaw {Psittacus {Ara) 
macao) has a long, pointed, wedge-like tail, and un- 
plumed cheeks. It inhabits the Antilles and South 
America. 

e. The Alexander Parakeet {Conurus Alexandri) 
is green ; neck and bill, pink. It is found in the East 
Indies, and is seen in all menageries and zoological 
gardens. 

f. The Black Cockatoo {Psittacus {Calyptorhynchus) 
TemmincJcii) is grayish-black, with tuft on the head, and 
red on the tail. It is a native of New South Wales ; 
feeds on insects, seeds, and larvae. 

Plate 7. 

a. The Common Gray Parrot {Psittacus erythacus) 
is gray, except the tail, which is red. It is one of the 
most tractable and also the most costly of Parrots ; it is 
a native of Western Africa. 

I. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo {Psittacus {Caca- 
tua) sulphur eus) is a fine-looking bird, which can erect 
and depress its crest at pleasure. It is a native of India 
and Australia, where it forms one of the most beautiful 
ornaments of the woods. 



58 BIRDS. 

c. The Toucan (Ramphastos) has an enormous bill, 
bent near the end and indented along its edges ; how- 
ever, it is very light ; tongue, fringed on both sides ; 
plumage, black ; breast and neck, variegated. It inhab- 
its the warm regions of South America. The Toucan 
lives on fruits and insects, which it throws into the air 
and then catches as they descend, and thus swallows 
them more easily. 

Woodpecker Family. — Picus. This family comprises 
birds characterized by a straight, sharp bill, adapted 
to cutting into bark or wood ; and by a long tongue, 
armed with barbs toward the tip, and capable of great 
extension. They have stout feet, long wings, ten 
primaries, and twelve tail-feathers. Woodpeckers feed 
upon the larvae of insects, which they secure by intro- 
ducing their tongue under the bark of trees or into 
crevices, also into holes which they themselves have 
made : the larvae adhere to the viscid substance with 
which the tongue is covered. They are common in 
both hemispheres. 

d. The Black Woodpecker (Picus martins). The 
male of this Woodpecker has red on its head; the 
female, red on the back of its neck. 

e. The Green Woodpecker, or Poppinjay (Picus 
(Gecinus) viridis), is green, with red on the head. It is 
smaller than the Black Woodpecker. 

f. The Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Picus major). 
Its back is black; rump, carmine-red; the male has 
red on the back of its head. It is the most gayly 
dressed of its family. 

g. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Picus minor) 
is black, with white bands ; the male has a red spot on 



BIRDS. 59 



the top of its head. It is very useful in destroying a 
great number of insects. 



Plate 8. 

a. The Median Spotted Woodpecker (Picus medius) ; 
back and tail, black ; breast and neck, pale yellowish- 
brown ; crown, carmine red. 

b. The Wryneck (Yunx) can. turn its neck on all 
sides; is about the size of a Lark; mottled-brown above; 
yellowish-white, with brown spots below. It builds on 
high trees, and feeds on tree-insects. 

c. The Common Nuthatch (Sitta Europcea) is ashy- 
blue above, rusty-brown below ; a black line runs 
through the eye. It is a lively bird, which climbs a tree 
quicker than a Woodpecker, and industriously draws 
out insects from cracks in its bark. It breeds in hollow 
trees, and closes the opening of its nest with clay, so 
that it only can slip in and out. 

d. The Kingfisher (Alcedo), a beautiful bird, 
whose color changes from blue to green ; its belly is 
rust-color. This shy and timid bird lives near ponds 
and rivers, where from trees, poles, and stones it sits 
watching for fish, which constitutes its food ; at the 
proper moment it plunges into the water, seizes the fish, 
which it turns in its beak to swallow head first. The 
nest is made in a hole at the end of a tube, which it 
digs in a high bank of a stream to the depth of three 
feet ; the eggs, six in number, are pure white. 

e. The European Bee Eater (Merops apiaster) is 
eleven inches in length; brown above, throat yellow, 
belly verdigris-green ; its home is Asia, Africa, and the 



60 BIRDS. 

south-east of Europe. It lives on insects which it 
catches as it flies, and destroys many bees ; it digs its 
nest on the shore like the Kingfisher ; it is one of the 
most beautiful of European birds. 

/. The Common Hoopoe ( Upupa epops) has a 
long, thin beak, slightly bent, and an upright crest 
upon its head. It feeds on insects and larvae. Its nest, 
of rotten wood and cow-dung, is found in hollow trees 
and holes of walls. The peculiarity of this bird is, 
that the female, during the time of breeding, secretes a 
liquid from its rump gland which has the smell of 
ammonia. 

Plate 9. 

a. The Common Creeper (Certhia familiaris) is 
five and a half inches long ; the color, dark-brown 
above, each feather having a white streak, and the rump 
is rust-color,. the under parts white. It runs up and 
down trees, and feeds on insects. The female breeds 
twice a year in the hole of a tree. 

b. c. d. The Humming Birds (Trochilus) belong ex- 
clusively to America, and are numerous in the hot 
regions. The feet of the Humming Birds are very 
small, wings long and narrow, tail broad. The bill is 
thin, sharp-pointed, straight or curved; plumage, beau- 
tiful and variegated. The tongue, which is split almost 
to the base, forms a sort of tube, which it protrudes into 
flowers to obtain its food, which consists of insects and 
honey. About four hundred species are known. 

e. The Raven (Corvus cor ax) is two feet long; plu- 
mage, of metallic lustre. It is found in America, Asia, 
and Africa. The Raven is rather shy and cautious, 



BIRDS. 61 

but can be tamed; is attracted by shining things, which 
it steals. The Raven learns to repeat words, and lives 
to a great age. Carrion is its favorite food ; but it 
attacks hares, partridges, and field-mice. 

f. The Carrion Crow (C. corone) resembles the 
Raven in color, but is smaller. Its shyness and cun- 
ning are well known. Notwithstanding its propensity to 
scratch and pull up corn, it is a very useful bird in 
destroying a very great number of grubs destructive to 
the crops. 

g. The Rook (C.frugilegus), of Europe, is nineteen 
inches long ; black, with a purplish gloss. Its food is 
worms and insects. The Rooks build socially upon 
trees, so that sometimes fifteen or sixteen nests are 
found upon one tree, where these birds are in continual 
dispute about place and material for building. 

Plate 10. 

a. The Hooded Crow 7 ( C. comix) ; head, throat, 
wings, and tail, black ; other parts, gray. 

b. The Jackdaw ((7. monedula). The color is 
blackish, with silver-gray neck ; under parts, ash-gray. 
These birds are thievish, easily tamed, and like to build 
on towers. 

c. The Jay ((7. (Garrulus) glandarius) is fourteen 
inches long ; upper wing coverts, blue and crossed with 
white ; its voice is harsh, but it learns to imitate sounds ; 
food, insects, worms, acorns, hazel and beech nuts, 
&c. The Jay is found in North and Temperate Asia 
and Europe. 

d. The Nut-cracker ((7. (Nucifraga) caryocatactes) ; 

6 



62 BIRDS. 

bill, long and straight; plumage, dark-brown, with 
white spots. It inhabits forests, and eats the seeds of 
the Siberian Pine, also eggs. It is smaller than the 
Jay, and not so common. 

e. The Mountain Rook ((7. Alpinus) is black; bill, 
thin and yellow; feet, red. This Rook is found in 
great numbers in the Alps. It can be tamed, and has 
the same inclination to steal shining things as the Jack- 
daw. 

f. The Cornish Chough (C (Coracia) gr acuta) is 
also black ; its bill is longer than that of the Mountain 
Rook, and, like its feet, coral-red. It inhabits the Alps, 
and is a shy and unsocial bird. 

g. The Magpie (C (Pica) melanoleuca) ; back, lus- 
trous-black ; upper part of the wing and belly, white ; 
tail, long and pointed. This is a cunning, thievish bird, 
easily tamed, and learns to speak some words. It lives 
on insects, worms, fruit, mice, and birds; it has the 
name of robbing the nests of partridges, ducks, and 
hens, and eating their young. Its nest, made of brush 
and thorns, is an almost impregnable fortress. 

Plate 11. 

a. The Roller ( Coracias) is of a bluish-green ; bill, 
cinnamon- color, sharp-edged, and bristled at the cor- 
ners ; feet, yellow ; a bird of passage. It often seizes 
frogs by the thigh, strikes them on the earth, and then 
swallows them. The Roller, on account of its beautiful 
plumage, is sometimes called the German Parrot. It 
lives in Europe and Africa. 

b. The Bird or Paradise (Paradisea apoda), peculiar 



BIRDS. 63 

to New Guinea ; it is about the size of the Eobin ; rich 
maroon-color ; the crown and neck, yellow ; the throat 
and around the bill, emerald-green. The sides of the 
tail have a handsome plume of long, loose feathers of 
a light-yellow hue, and on either side of these are two 
shafts nearly two feet long. These birds live in flocks 
of thirty to forty ; feed on insects which they catch 
while flying, and are easily caught when their feathers 
are disarranged by a storm. 

c. The Golden-crested Wren (Rupicola). The male 
is orange-color, with a large crest ; lives on fruits, and 
scratches in the earth like the hens. It builds a nest 
of small brush, and lays two eggs. 

d. The Golden Oriole (Oriolus) is yellow, with beau- 
tiful black wings. Its artistic nest is basket-like, and 
hung on the forked ends of a branch ; its favorite food 
is cherries. 

e. The Purple Grakle {Gracula (Quiscalus) versi- 
color), of the United States, is of a lustrous black ; head 
and forward parts glossed with purple ; but the female 
is gray. Its length is about fifteen inches. The 
Grakle lives mostly on insects, except in harvest-time, 
when it eats grain. 

f. The Mina Bird (Gracula rcligiosa), black, with 
violet hue ; behind the eye is a naked flap of skin ; its 
bill and feet are yellow. It inhabits the East Indies, and 
feeds on fruit. The Mina is about the size of a Jack- 
daw. It becomes tame and familiar, and learns to repeat 
words more distinctly than the Parrot. 

g. The Cuckoo (Cuculus). The bill of this bird is 
slender, curved, and narrow toward the end. It is very 
shy, and seeks thick foliage where it sits uttering the 



64 BIRDS. 

peculiar note from which it is named ; it feeds upon 
insects and eggs. The Cuckoo does not build a nest, 
but lays in the nests of other birds. 

Plate 12. 

The Lark Family. — Alaudinje. The family of 
Larks have a thin conical bill, not as long as the head. 
They are distinguished by an awl-like spur on the hind 
toe ; they build their nests on the earth ; they have a 
peculiarly measured pace, and live on seeds and in- 
sects. 

a. The Field, or Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis). This 
Lark is, next to the Nightingale, the sweetest songster 
in Europe, and charms every lover of nature ; its dress 
is an unassuming grayish-brown above, and yellowish- 
white below. Formerly the Lark was brought to 
market, by thousands, for the table. 

b. The Wood Lark (A. arborea) is a little smaller 
than the Field Lark ; has a shorter tail, generally with 
white tips and a white spot on the cheeks. The nest 
is built on the earth ; the food is the same as that of the 
Field Lark. 

c. The Crested Lark (A. cristata) is distinguished 
by a pointed crest on the head ; the color is like the 
other larks, except that the lower wing coverts are rust- 
red. Like the Domestic Sparrow, this Lark lives near 
human habitations. Its note is pleasant, and flute-like. 

d. The Starling (Sturnus) is about the size of a 
Thrush; its color is violet and greenish-black, spotted 
with white or pale-yellow. This is a pleasant, lively 
bird, which imitates the melodies of other birds. It 



BIRDS. 65 

has a strong, straight bill, and feeds on seeds, berries, 
and insects. It is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

e. The Common Dipper (Cinclus aquaticus) is dark- 
brown above, yellowish below ; breast, white. This 
bird seeks woody countries in the neighborhood of cool 
brooks, and lives on aquatic insects, snails, and small 
fishes. It lives in Germany, and its simple song is often 
heard on a sunny winter's day. 

/. The Song Thrush {Turdus musicus). That of the 
United States excels all other American birds in the 
sweetness and softness of its notes. Its color varies a 
little from the European, which is also noted for its 
song. Its food consists of insects, larvae, and berries. 
The genus Turdus has the bill stout and shorter than 
the head ; wings, pointed and long. 

Plate 13. 

a. The Missel Thrush (T viscivorus), of 'Europe, is 
olive-brown above, the under parts of the wings white, 
breast spotted. It is fond of the mistletoe ; it inhabits 
the pine woods of all Europe. In spite of its charming 
song, it is killed in fall for its flesh, which is considered 
a delicacy. 

b. The Field-fare Thrush (T. pilaris) is a native of 
the north of Europe, goes to the South in October, and 
returns North in April. It feeds on worms, insects, and 
berries ; color, chestnut-brown above ; head and lower 
part of the back, gray ; breast, rusty, with dark spots ; 
belly, white. Its flesh is savory, and much esteemed. 

It is said that inEast Prussia alone, over six hun- 
dred thousand pairs of the Field-fare Thrush are shot 

6* 



66 BIRDS. 

yearly for the market. They nest in the northern 
countries of Europe and Asia, and keep together in 
large flocks ; their food is that of other Thrushes, 
though they prefer juniper-berries. 

c. The Ring Thrush (T. torquatus) is black, ex- 
tremities of the quills white, a large half-moon-like 
white patch on the breast. Flocks of three to four 
thousand lead a quiet and lonely life in high mountain 
forests. 

d. The Blue Thrush (T. cyaneus). The male is of a 
dark slate-blue color, with beautiful azure-blue wings, 
and the tail black, bordered with blue. It inhabits the 
southern countries of Europe, and is admired for its 
fine, loud, and clear notes. 

e. The Blackbird (T. merula) is of a fine black 
color, with bright yellow bill. The female is brown. 
In Central Europe, this is the first bird to celebrate the 
return of spring. 

f. The Silkstart (Ampelis garrula), called also the 
Bohemian Chatterer, or Waxwing, is of a brownish-ash 
color ; tail-feathers, slate, with a terminal yellow band ; 
head and throat marked with black, the secondaries 
with red horny tips. The Cedar Bird of North America 
is much like the Silkstart, and both are distinguished 
by the silky and soft tints of their plumage. Their 
food consists of insects and berries. 

Plate 14. 

The Cross-bill Family has thick, strong mandibles, 
curved and overlapping at the points. The seeds of 
pine cones are their favorite food. 



BIRDS. 67 

a. The Common Cross-bill (Loxia curvirostrd) is 
six and three-quarter inches long. The old male is 
dull red; wings and tail, blackish-brown. The female is 
dull greenish-olive ; rump and crown, yellow, beneath 
grayish. It builds a thick, warm nest upon the pine, 
and lays three eggs. 

b. The Cherry Finch (Loxia (Pinicohi) enucleator) 
has the upper mandible bent over the lower one like a 
hook ; white bands on the wings ; young males, yellow 
or yellowish-red; older ones, nearly carmine-red; the 
females are never red. They inhabit the North, and live 
like the Cross-bills. 

c. The Bullfinch (Loxia (Pyrrhula) rubicilla) ; head, 
wings, and tail, changeable black; upper part of the 
body, a bluish-gray; belly of the male, cinnabar-red; that 
of the female, dingy reddish-gray. The Bullfinch is 
well known in all Europe ; goes from north to south in 
autumn, and is a quiet, confiding bird, and often caged. 
It lays four or five eggs, and breeds twice a year. It 
feeds on seeds, grains, and berries. 

d. The Green Finch, or Grosbeak {Loxia (Fringilla) 
chloris) is of a yellowish-green ; edge of wings and tail, 
bright yellow ; not rare. It is found in North Africa 
and in Asia as well as in Europe. It feeds on seeds 
containing oil. 

c. The Common Grosbeak (Loxia (Coccothraustes) 
vulgaris) appears clumsy and heavy, but can fly well. 
It has a black throat, reddish breast, and is otherwise 
brown and gray. This bird builds its nest in gardens, 
and eats the kernels of cherries. The Grosbeak is at 
home in the temperate zones of Europe and America. 

/. The Yellow Bunting (Emberiza citrinella) ; the 



68 BIRDS. 

head and lower part of the body, beautiful yellow ; back, 
rusty, with black stripes; a very common bird. It 
builds in hedges and bushes, and breeds twice a year. 

g. The Garden Bunting (E. hortuland) ; beak, flesh- 
color ; head and back of the neck, grayish ; is in all 
parts of Central Europe, where millet, its favorite food, 
is found. 

Plate 15. 

a. The Cirl Bunting (JE. cirlus) ; front of the neck, 
yellow ; wings, brown ; female, with brownish spots. It 
is a rare and handsome bird ; breeds once a year, and 
in hedges. 

b. The Snow Bunting (E. nivalis) is six and three- 
quarters inches long ; the wing, over four inches ; tail, 
short ; colors, black, brown, and white ; in winter, white 
beneath ; head and rump, yellowish-brown ; back, brown. 
Snow Buntings move in flocks, and inhabit the north- 
ern parts of both hemispheres, and feed on seeds and 
insects. 

c. The Common Sparrow (Fringilla domestica) ; 
upper parts, brown, with dark spots ; lower parts, light- 
gray ; throat of the male, black ; of the female, gray ; old 
sparrows breed three times a year, young ones twice. 
Their food, in spring, consists of insects ; in cherry-time, 
of cherries ; in autumn, of grains. Sparrows are cun- 
ning, cautious birds ; very useful, as they destroy an 
enormous quantity of insects. 

d. The Chaffinch (jF. ccelebs) ; tail, greenish ; wings, 
with two bands, one white and one yellow on each 
wing; male, with bluish-gray head and wine-colored 
breast; female, brownish-gray head and reddish-gray 



BIRDS. 69 

breast. These passenger birds leave Central Europe in 
October, and return in March and April : the males 
arrive first, the females follow in flocks by themselves. 
The Finch builds a conical nest upon a tree, and breeds 
twice in a year. It is a useful bird, and its song is very 
fine. 

e. The Mountain Finch (jP. montifringilld) is dark 
above, with orange-yellow breast ; the male and female 
differ in color. It builds in thick branches ; lives on 
insects and seeds. 

f. The Snow Finch ( F. nivalis) ; its upper wing and 
outer tail-feathers are white ; back, brown ; under parts, 
grayish- white. It inhabits the high mountains of Cen- 
tral Europe where the eternal snows begin, and builds 
in crevices of rocks. 

Plate 16. 

a. The Goldfinch (F. carduelis) ; brown ; belly, 
whitish ; bright red about the head ; wings, black and 
yellow ; tail, black, with white edges. The Goldfinch is 
very intelligent, and much liked as a cage-bird. Its 
pleasant song is full of variety and change. It feeds 
mainly on seeds. 

b. The Canary Bird (jP. canaria). This bird was 
originally gray above and greenish-yellow below ; its 
color has changed by confinement. It was brought 
from the Canary Islands some three hundred years ago. 
Its song and docility are generally known. 

c. The Brown Linnet (jP. cannabina) takes a high 
rank among seed-eating birds ; is heard the w r hole year 
in Central Europe. Its back is brown. In the old 



70 BIRDS. 

male, the crown and breast are blood-red. It is most 
beautiful in spring, when attired in its wedding-dress. 
It is a sweet songster, and bears captivity very well ; 
found in Europe, from Norway to the Mediterranean. 

d. The Linnet (jF. spinus) ; plumage, greenish ; 
under parts, pale-yellow ; crown and throat of the male, 
black. It is much liked for a cage-bird, and lives 
twelve years. It feeds on the seeds of the fir, birch, 
and alder. 

e. The Yellow Linnet (F. citrinella) ; tail-feathers, 
black, with light edges ; plumage, yellowish-green ; 
neck and throat, grayish. It lives in the southern part 
of Europe. 

f. The Common Bunting (Emberiza miliaria) re- 
sembles the Lark in color ; it is a bird of passage. It 
is spread over all Europe ; it lives on the ground, and 
feeds upon grains and insects. 

Plate 17. 

The Warhler Family comprises a large number of 
small and interesting birds, characterized, in part, by a 
conical, slender, or depressed bill. This family is rep- 
resented in all parts of the world, and embraces many 
of the sweetest songsters. They live on insects, berries, 
and fine seeds, and are all birds of passage. 

a. The Nightingale (Sylvia (Luscinia) philomela) 
begins the list, and stands at the head of sweet and 
celebrated songsters. Its simple dress is reddish-brown 
above, whitish-gray beneath. The Nightingale delights 
us with its melodies in quiet spring nights, and stops 
singing toward midsummer. Its food consists of worms, 



BIRDS. 71 

insects, larvas, and berries. Its nest is very simple ; it 
lays once a year from four to six eggs. The Night- 
ingale is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

b. The Blue-throated Redstar (Sylvia suecica) ; 
tail, dark-brown and red. The male has a fine blue 
throat and breast, with or without spots; the female 
has no blue on the breast. The male has a peculiarly 
clear, whistling note. Its nest, in which it lays from 
four to five eggs, is artless. The Redstar is a native of 
Europe. 

c. The Black Cap (Sylvia atricapilla) is grayish 
above ; the male has a black, the female a yellowish- 
brown, crown. This interesting and agreeable song- 
ster is found in all Europe, except the extreme north, 
and particularly in the gardens and woods of Ger- 
many. 

d. The White-throated Warbler (S. cineraria) ; 
ash-gray above ; below, whitish ; has a white line on 
the tail-feathers ; it is the enemy of insects, caterpillars, 
and larvae. It is a good songster. 

e. The Greater Pettychaps ($. kortensis); above, 
grayish ; tail and wings, brownish ; body, whitish. This 
is one of the best of songsters. It inhabits the warmer 
parts of Europe ; feeds on insects and berries. 

/. The Lesser White-throated Warbler (#. garruld) ; 
plumage, similar to the preceding, from which it is dis- 
tinguished by its tones ,of clapp-clapp, which it from 
time to time mingles with its song ; plumage and food, 
the same as the Pettychaps. 

g. The Chiff-Chaff Warbler (S. hippolais) ; above, 
olive-green ; below, sulphur-yellow. It puts its nest, 
which is surrounded by white birch-bark, upon young 



72 BIRDS. 

fir-trees, or in forked twigs several feet above the 
ground. It sings finely ; but cannot bear confinement. 
It is found in all Europe. 

Plate 18. 

a. left. The Robin, or Redbreast (S. (Erythacus) 
rubecula), is of a brownish hue, with an orange-red breast. 
Its fine song sounds somewhat melancholy in the evening. 
It builds its nest in holes or trees, and lays from five to 
seven eggs. The Robin is well known in the Old World. 
The American Robin is the migratory Thrush (Turdus 
mrgratorius) ; is a much larger bird, and belongs to an 
entirely distinct family. 

a. right. The Winchat (S. (Saxicola) rubetra) ; 
brown above ; throat and breast, yellowish ; root of tail, 
white. 

b. right. The Fire-crowned Gold Crest (S. (Rega- 
ins) cristatus) ; above, greenish ; crest, orange and yel- 
low. It is a very active bird. Its nest is built with an 
opening on the side. The female lays, the first time, 
from eight to eleven, the second time from six to nine, 
eggs, scarcely larger than a pea. It is a native of Ger- 
many, and very much like the Golden-crested Wren of 
the Northern United States. 

b. left. The Reed-Warbler (Sylvia turdoides) ; 
above, rusty-gray ; below, dingy yellowish- white ; wings, 
short ; tail, long and rounded. It lives in reeds and 
bushes near the water. 

c. left. The Common Wren (S. (Troglodytes) par- 
vulus) is nearly five inches long ; the wing, over two 
inches ; the color above, reddish-brown, barred with 



BIRDS. 73 

dark-brown ; under parts, brownish-gray. The Wren is 
a gay, lively little bird. It feeds on insects and larvae. 
d. left. The Common Redstart (S. (liuticilla) 
phcejiicurd) has a black throat, and orange-red breast and 
tail. This is one of the prettiest and liveliest birds of 
the forest. It is common in Europe. North America 
has an allied species. 

d. right. The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) ; 
around the eye, side of the neck and belly, white; top 
of the head and throat, black ; back, ash-gray. It is a 
lively bird, and constantly moving its tail. The Wag- 
tails keep socially together, and confide in man. As 
soon as the cold weather commences they go off, and 
return in March as early messengers of spring. They 
build near the water, in hollow trees and holes of the 
shore. They breed twice a year, and lay six to seven 
eggs the first, and five to six the second, time. 

e. The Yellow Wagtail (M. flava) ; olive-green 
above, beautiful yellow below. It lays four to six white 
eggs, speckled with light brown. 

Plate 19. 

Pants, or Titmouse Family, comprises only small, ac- 
tive birds, which may well be called the mice among 
birds. They are insect-eaters ; but their strong, short 
bills enable them to eat hard-shelled seeds, which they 
hold with their toes. Their feet are short and strong, 
with bent toes ; they are good climbers, and often hang 
on thin twigs with their head downward. The plu- 
mage of the Titmice is very soft, and some of them are 
finely colored. 

7 



74 BIRDS. 

a. left. The Greater Titmouse (Parus major) ; above, 
dingy olive ; below, yellow ; head and throat, black. 
This Titmouse brings up from ten to twelve young ones, 
and destroys an immense number of insects. When 
confined with other birds, they attack them, split their 
heads, and eat their brains. 

b. The Blue Titmouse (P. cmruleus) ; wings and tail, 
blue ; back, olive-green ; belly, yellow. This is a neat 
little bird, full of droll manners, and is found through- 
out Europe, except the far North. It lives on insects, 
larvae, and eggs. 

c. left. The Cole (P. ater) ; head and neck, black; 
back, blue-gray; cheeks, white; found in pine woods 
of Northern North America, Europe, and Asia. 

d. left. The Crested Titmouse (P. cristatus) has a 
fine-pointed crest on the head. It exclusively inhabits 
the firs of its native land, and makes great havoc among 
insects. 

e. left. The Marsh Titmouse (P. palustris) is the 
liveliest and funniest of all Titmice, and surpasses the 
others in climbing. .Its crown is black ; upper body, 
grayish ; throat, blackish. It lives in marshy places, 
and builds its nest in old willows. 

/. right. Hirundo, or Swallow Family, — Bill, short; 
wings, very long ; tail, generally forked. They catch 
insects while flying, and are birds of passage. 

a. right. The Chimney Swallow {Hirundo rustica) ; 
plumage, steel-blue above ; forehead and throat, chest- 
nut-brown; belly, reddish-white. It is uncommonly 
quick in flight; builds in houses, and is everywhere 
protected by man as a friend. 

6. right. The House Martin (H. urbica) ; above, 



BIRDS. 75 

blue-black ; throat and belly, white ; feet, feathered 
nearly to the claws. These Martins build their nests of 
mud and clay, side by side, on the outside of houses. 
The nests are so strong that they are not easily broken. 

c. right. The Sand Martin, or Bank Swallow (H. 
riparia) ; grayish-brown ; throat and belly, white ; it 
nests socially in holes in banks. It is the smallest of 
the swallows, and the least numerous. This Swallow 
perches on trees and bushes; and builds its nest on the 
banks of rivers. In Germany, they are mostly found 
near the Rhine, Danube, and Elbe. 

d. right. The Goatsucker ( Caprimulgus) ; bill, 
short, triangular, and bristled ; plumage, variegated a*nd 
soft. It lives in forests or woods, feeds on insects, has a 
gentle flight, but flies only in the night. The Goat- 
sucker lays two eggs on the heath, without building a 
nest. It does not suck the milk from Goats, as its 
name would imply. 

Plate 20. 

Columbidce, or Dove Family. — Bill thin, slightly bent 
at the tip ; feet, short ; wings, long and pointed ; tail- 
feathers, twelve or fourteen ; plumage, generally of a 
metallic lustre. Pigeons live in pairs, build nests upon 
trees and in the holes of rocks, lay two eggs at a time, 
and breed several times in a year. The young are at 
first fed by the old ones with macerated food from their 
own crops. Seeds constitute their chief nourishment. 
They are spread over the whole earth. The very large 
species are limited to the southern zones. 

a. The Domestic Pigeon {Columba livia, var. domes- 



76 BIRDS. 

tica). The soft skin, in which the nostrils are situated, is 
whitish ; plumage, bluish-gray; neck, glossy, with green- 
ish and bluish hues ; rump, white ; pupil, red ; and a 
double black band upon the wings. This Pigeon is 
found wild in some parts of Africa. The fostering care 
of man has produced a great number of varieties. 

b. The Tambourine Dove ((7. tympanistria) has feet 
covered with long feathers ; it derives its name from the 
drumming noise which it makes. It is from fifteen to 
sixteen inches long. 

c. The Short-tailed Dove ((7. livia, var. brevicauda) ; 
smooth head, and large red, naked circle about the eye. 
This Dove pounces down, like lightning, in a straight 
line, at the same time turning itself over and over, and 
more rapidly as it approaches the earth. 

d. The Dwarf Pigeon (C.nana) has curled feathers, 
like a ruffle, on the breast, and a short bill. 

e. The Fantailed Pigeon (C. livia, var. laticauda) 
has a handsome, upright, outspread tail, consisting of 
from twenty-eight to thirty feathers : it belongs to the 
Domestic Pigeons. 

/. The Nicobar Pigeon (C. (Caloenas) nicobarica). 
This Pigeon, in regard to form and manner of living, 
bears much resemblance to a hen : it is a native of 
Nicobar and the Moluccas ; it keeps on the ground, and 
builds under bushes. 

Plate 21. 

a. The Wood Pigeon ((7. ocnas) has a red bill 
with yellow point; plumage, above gray, with incom- 
plete bands on the back ; below, wine-color. 






BIRDS. 77 

b. The Powter, or Cropper-Pigeon ((7. livia, var. 
gutturosa), can inflate the elastic skin of the neck to an 
enormous size. There are many varieties of this kind 
of Pigeon. 

c. The Passenger Pigeon ((7. (Ectopistes) migra- 
torius) is seventeen inches long, and the wing eight and 
a half inches : its twelve-feathered and wedge-like tail 
shows that it can fly well ; and indeed this Pigeon 
undertakes journeys of many hundred miles from its 
home in North America. " Sometimes they fill the air 
like a cloud, and thus continue to pass for a whole day." 
They have been known to destroy entire fields of grain, 
and break down trees upon which they were roosting in 
great numbers. They build their nests of dry sticks 
and twigs ; some forty to fifty nests are found upon one 
tree. Plumage, bluish above, purplish and white 
below. The female is smaller, and in color duller, than 
the male. 

d. The Rock Pigeon (G. risoria). It is rust-color, 
with black trimmings, and becomes verv tame. It was 
brought from India. Its original color was much 
lighter and more pinkish, with a black half-circle on 
the back of the neck. 

e. The Common Turtle Dove ((7. (Turlur) auritus). 
This gentle and beautiful bird is kept as a pet, especially 
among country people in Germany, who superstitiously 
consider the Turtle Dove as the conductor for all human 
ills. Its plumage is of a tawny slate-color, with black 
feathers on the sides of the neck, in the form of a ring. 
It is named from its cooing note, which sounds like tur- 
tur. It inhabits Europe, Asia, and Africa, and builds 
its nest in thick underbrush. 

7* 



78 BIRDS. 

f. The Great-crowned Pigeon (C (Gourd) coronatd) 
is found only in hot climates. It grows as large as a 
turkey. 

g. The Common Quail (Coturnix vulgaris) is rust- 
red, with angular-shaped spots of black. The male 
has a dark-brown, and the female a whitish, breast. It 
is from ten to twelve inches long, and the wing from 
four to five inches. The note of the male sounds like 
dic-cur-hic. The female lays from eight to fourteen 
pure white eggs ; and she, alone, takes care of her 
young. The Quail is used in Asia as the fighting-cock 
is in England. In Italy, they are caught in great num- 
bers for the market. 

Plate 22. 

a. The Ptarmigan [Tetrao (Lagopns) mutus) has 
the legs feathered to the claws, which are black and 
strongly bent ; plumage in winter, white ; upper tail- 
feathers, black ; in summer, more or less marked with 
brown and yellow; wings, belly, and feet, white. 

b. The Black Cock (Tetrao tetrix) ; tail, forked and 
curled outward ; the male, two feet long, is black, with 
a metallic lustre ; the female, smaller, is tawny, with 
black bands. The Black Cock is found in Alpine 
countries ; is fond of birch woods ; goes far into the 
North. It is useful in destroying insects, and for food. 

c. The Cock of the Wood, or Capercailzie (T. uro- 
gallus) ; male, black, sprinkled with white, green lustre 
on the breast, a feathered beard, and brown wings ; 
female smaller, and rust-color, with cross bands. This 
Cock is as large as the Turkey, being one of the lar- 



BIRDS. 79 

gest of the Gallinse. Its flight is low, rustling, and of 
short duration ; sight and hearing j very sharp. It lives 
in high mountainous woods ; on the ground in the day- 
time, and on trees in the night. Its food consists of 
insects, berries, herbs, buds, and foliage. During pair- 
ing-time, in March and April, the Cock keeps up a 
peculiar sound from two a.m., until twilight, while 
marching around his tree in a dandified manner, when 
he can be easily shot ; at other times, he is cautious, and 
not easily taken. He has from eight to ten hens in 
pairing-time, after which he leads a lonely life, and 
does not allow another Cock on his premises. The 
hen lays from seven to ten eggs on the bare earth ; 
sits four weeks. This Cock is found in Europe and 
Asia. 

d. The Common Partridge (Perdix cinerea) ; face 
and throat, a beautiful reddish-brown ; back, a mixture of 
ash-gray, black, and yellow ; on the neck are fine, black, 
wavy lines. The male and female remain together 
until death. The female lays from twelve to twenty- 
two eggs, in a simple hollow on the ground ; breeds in 
May or June. The young ones run immediately, often 
with the shell sticking to them ; they remain with the 
old ones until the next spring, forming one family. Both 
sexes care for their young, protecting them under their 
wings in bad weather. The Partridge flies heavily, but 
is a good runner, and is easily tamed. 

e. The Eed Partridge (P. ntbrci) ; cheeks and throat, 
pure white, surrounded by a dark band ; breast, ash- 
gray, with black, red, and white spots; belly, lighter; 
back of the head, tawny-red ; pupil and bill, red. It is 
a native of France and Italy. Its character and man- 



80 BIRDS. 

ners differ from those of the Partridge, inasmuch as it is 
untamable, and the male takes no care of the young. 

f. The Mountain Grouse (T. saxatilis) is mostly ash- 
gray ; throat, white, bordered with black ; bill and feet, 
red; belly, fawn-color; handsomely marked feathers. 
This Grouse is found in the East, and in the south of 
Europe. It is a domestic bird in the Grecian Islands. 

g*. The Pintado or Guinea Fowl (Nwnida melea- 
gris), is found wild in the marshes of Africa, in flocks of 
from two to three hundred. It has a naked head, with 
a reddish-brown callosity in the form of a helmet; color 
of plumage, blue-gray, speckled with white spots. It is 
kept with other poultry on account of its delicious flesh ; 
it has a disagreeable note ; it lays from seventy to seventy- 
five es:2;s during the summer. 

h. The Common Fowl (Gallus domcsticus) , descended 
from the Jungle Fowls of India, is spread over the 
whole earth ; and, through the fostering care of man, 
its varieties are now almost endless. The cock has 
many hens of which he takes care, and for whose pro- 
tection he fights bravely. The hen lays from eighty to 
ninety eggs yearly. 

Plate 23. 

Phasianida, or Pheasant Family. — The male, as 
with, most other birds, is larger than the female, and his 
plumage is more brilliant. Either the whole head, or a 
part of it, is naked : or it has a feathered crest. The 
tail of the cock is often much developed, and, with 
some, can be spread like a fan. 

a. The Silver Pheasant (Phasianus (Gallophasis) 



BIRDS. 81 

nycthemerus) has a black tuft on the head ; male, white 
above, with fine zigzag dark lines ; violet black on the 
under parts ; female, reddish-brown, with green spots; 
the belly crossed with black lines. 

b. The Golden Pheasant (Thaumalea picta), " so 
remarkable for its magnificent plumage, has a golden- 
colored crest ; the neck, orange, speckled with black ; the 
back, green ; the rump, yellow ; the lower parts and wings, 
red, the latter with a blue spot ; and the long tail, brown, 
spotted with gray." The Golden Pheasant comes from 
East India and China. It is much more delicate than 
the other pheasants, and it requires particular care to 
bring up the young. The cock puts on his gala dress 
in his second year. This Pheasant often attains the age 
of twelve years. 

c. The Argus Pheasant (Argus giganteus) is five 
feet, three inches long; female, two feet, two inches; cen- 
tral tail-feathers and wings, very long, and the latter 
covered with ocellated spots, so that, when the wings 
are spread, the appearance of this bird is splendid. Its 
home is Sumatra. 

d. The Peacock (Pavo) has the head crested ; tail, 
short ; rump-feathers, on the contrary, excessively elon- 
gated and adorned with eyes. Its splendid plumage 
and power of raising its rump-feathers are well known. 
The white is also very beautiful. Peacocks shed their 
feathers, except those of the crest, every year. They 
live to be twenty-five years old ; their voice is disagree- 
able ; home, the Indies. Alexander the Great is said 
to have introduced this bird into Europe. 

e. The Impeyan Pheasant (Lophoplioriis Impeyanus) 
has a crest like that of the Peacock ; plumage, brilliant 



82 BIRDS. 

red, green, blue, yellow, with metallic lustre about the 
head and neck ; lower part of back, white ; tail, red- 
dish-brown ; belly, black. The male is one of the most 
brilliant of birds. The color of the female is a brown- 
ish-gray, marbled with yellow. 

f. The Common Turkey {Melcagris gallojiavo) ; head 
and upper part of the neck, naked ; from the forehead 
an elastic, fleshy appendage ; tail, long and spreading ; 
plumage, copper-bronze, with black edgings. The 
Turkey is about four feet long. It is a native of the 
United States, and its offspring are spread over both 
hemispheres. The male weighs from eighteen to twenty 
pounds, and more. Its flesh is everywhere esteemed as a 
delicate article of food. 

Plate 24. 

Otidce, or Bustard Family. — The Bustards have 
strong feet, with three broad-soled toes ; large, broad 
wings, and short, round tail, consisting of twenty feath- 
ers ; body, too large and heavy for easy flight. Bus- 
tards live on seeds and insects. They-are distrustful, and 
flee the approach of man. 

a. The Great Bustard {Otis tarda) ; legs, long, and 
feet three-toed ; tail, of twenty feathers, which can be 
spread like a fan ; wings, short ; the upper part of the 
body, reddish, with black waving lines; male, adorned 
on both sides of the head by a feathery beard. The 
Bustard is four feet long, and weighs from twenty-four 
to thirty pounds. It is a shy and cautious bird, and runs 
with outspread wings when chased ; it can, however, 
fly high and easily for a long time. It is seen in Europe 



BIRDS. 83 

in flocks of from fifty to one hundred. It feeds on grain, 
green seeds, and insects, and lays from two to three eggs. 
Its flesh is good for food. 

b. The Cassowary (Casuarius Indicus), of the Indian 
Archipelago, is about five feet high. It is a strong, stout 
bird, and more awkward than the Ostrich, which it re- 
sembles in manner of living. Plumage, black ;" head 
and neck, naked and blue ; the flesh on the sides of the 
neck, red; a horny helmet on the crown; wings fur- 
nished with some barbless stems ; feet, three-toed. The 
Cassowary feeds on fruits and grains. 

c. The Two-toed Ostrich (Struthio camelus) is black, 
with white tail and wing- feathers ; the plumage con- 
sists of soft, polished feathers, which are longer on the 
wings, facilitating only the running of the animal, as it 
cannot fly. This Ostiich is the largest of birds, and 
the fleetest of all animals ; it is from seven to eight feet 
high, and weighs one hundred pounds. It can strike 
dangerously with its strong feet, and throw large stones 
far behind it. It lives on grains and fruits ; but swal- 
lows stones, leather, and similar substances. In the 
time of breeding, one male is found with four or five 
females ; all lay in one nest, which is scooped out of the 
sand. The ostrich eggs are not left to hatch in the 
sun, as has been stated, but are brooded at intervals by 
the hens, and sometimes by the cock. These eggs 
weigh three pounds each, and are" savory. The flesh of 
this bird is edible ; its skin is worked into leather, and 
its plumes form an article of commerce in Africa. 

d. The Three-toed Ostrich (jR hea Americana). The 
American Ostrich of South America is distinguished 
from the African species by having three toes, armed 



84 ■ BIRDS. 

with nails ; color, gray ; wings, lighter than the back ; 
tail-feathers, wanting. The male has black feathers 
about the neck. It is about six feet long. These 
Ostriches live in flocks of thirty to forty on open 
plains, and are easily tamed when young. 

Plate 25. 

Phoenicopleridce, or Flamingo Family. — This family 
comprises birds with very long legs and necks ; toes, 
fully webbed ; bill, bent in the middle, and the edges 
indented. 

a. The Flamingo (Plmnicopteriis antiquorum) is five 
feet long, pale rose-color ; wings, carmine ; feet, red ; 
tail, black. The young are dingy white, with brown 
legs and reddish wings. The Flamingo is common in 
the warmer parts of America and Europe. Its food is 
insects, mollusks, and fish. 

b. The White Stork {Ciconia alba); three and 
a quarter feet long ; white, with black coverts ; bill 
and feet, red. The Stork is everywhere at home in the 
Old World, and welcome in Europe, where he appears 
alone in March, and afterwards brings his mate. Both 
leave again in September to winter in Africa and Spain. 
Their food consists of mice, serpents, frogs, &c. They 
often build their large nests, to which they return year 
after year, on chimney-tops. The female lays four to 
five eggs. 

c. The Black Stork (C nigra) is of a brownish- 
black color, with metallic lustre ; its breast and belly are 
white. In size, and manner of living, it resembles the 
white Swan ; but it feeds more on fish, and builds on 
high trees. 



BIRDS. 85 

d. The Marabou Stork ((7. (Leptoptilas) marabou.) 
There are two kinds of giant-like Storks, one from the 
tropical regions of Africa, the other from India. They 
are furnished with a large appendage under the throat, 
somewhat resembling a sausage. The beautiful plumes, 
called Marabouts, are taken from under the wings of 
these birds. Color, black or brown above, and white 
below; head and neck covered with down. 

e. The Common Heron (At ilea cineraria), found in 
all Europe, is three feet long, with a blackish tuft hang- 
ing from the back of the head ; color above, ash-gray ; 
below, white, with black spots. Its food consists prin- 
cipally of fish. It builds on high trees, and lays from 
three to four eggs. The young remain a long time in v 
the nest. 

/. The Purple-Breasted Heron (A. purpurea), of 
Southern Europe, is three feet long ; plumage, bluish- 
gray above, purple below ; crest and occipital feathers, 
dark-brown. 

Plate 26. 

a. The Night Heron (Ardea (Nycticorax) grisea), is 
one foot, eight inches long ; ash-gray above ; whitish be- 
low ; crown and back, blackish ; it has three long, white 
feathers on the back of the head. Night Herons are 
found in America, Asia, and Africa. 

b. The Little Bittern (A. minuta), of North America, 
is thirteen inches long ; head above, and back, dark- 
green ; other parts, mostly cinnamon-color. The nest 
is built on low bushes ; eggs, three to four ; dull yel- 
lowish-green. 

c. The Common Bittern (A. stellaris) is two and a 



86 BIRDS. 

quarter feet long ; the color is brownish-yellow, varied 
with dark-brown ; head, black, glossed with green ; is 
found among reeds, and has a peculiar, loud note. 

d. The Common Crane (Grus cinerea) is three feet, 
ten inches in length ; back of the head, naked and red. 
Cranes are found in America, Europe, and Asia. They 
wander in large flocks, and form two lines, meeting in 
an angle in front. They fly so high, that, although they 
can be heard, they are not seen. The Crane is known 
to be watchful and cautious ; it has a loud voice, feeds 
on grains, green seeds, peas, &c, also worms, mussels, 
and frogs. The female lays two eggs in her nest, which 
is made of reeds. The young birds can run so quickly 
that man cannot catch them. 

e. The Ibis (Ibis religiosa) ; bill, feet, wings, and 
the naked part of the head and neck, black. The Ibis 
is about the size of a common Hen, and was worshipped 
and embalmed by the ancient Egyptians. 

/. The Snipe (Scolopax) is about thirteen inches 
long, and has twelve tail-feathers, and a very long bill ; 
it is reddish-brown, wdth fine, black cross-lines above, 
and yellowish-white below. It is everywhere, and sought 
for by the hunter, as an article of food ; even the intes- 
tines, with their contents, are eaten as a delicacy. 

g. The Common Snipe ($. gallinago) is found in all 
countries where there are low, marshy lands, and is 
much esteemed for its delicate meat. Its tail has four- 
teen feathers. 

h. The Common Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus) ; feet, 
red; a tuft of feathers hanging from the back of the 
head ; back, dark-green, with a purple lustre ; breast, 
black ; belly, snow-w^hite. The Lapwing is very com- 



BIRDS. 87 

mon in the meadows of all Europe. Its spotted eggs 
are much esteemed by the gourmand. 

Plate 27. 

a. The Ruff (Machetes pugnax). The plumage of 
the Ruff varies very much ; the male has a feather 
collar about his neck in summer. The female and 
young never have a collar. These birds always keep 
near the sea and large lakes. In spring, the males fight 
continually among themselves ; notwithstanding this, 
they fly in company, but recommence their fights as 
soon as they alight on the ground. The Ruff is acci- 
dental on Long Island, North America, and much re- 
sembles that of North Europe. 

b. The Water, or Marsh, Hen (Gallhmla chloropus) ; 
above, olive-green; below, gray; crown, red; feet, 
green; found in Europe. The Marsh Hen, or King 
Rail, of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North Ameri- 
ca in the warmer parts, is seventeen inches long ; under 
parts, rufous-chestnut. 

c. The Corn Crake (Crex pratensis), of Europe, 
Greenland, and accidental in the United States, resem- 
bles the Lark in color. It is improperly called the King 
of the Quails, from the circumstance of being often 
found with them in harvest time. 

d. The Jacana (Parra) ; wings, spurred ; toes, long, 
slim, and armed with long, sharp claws. It inhabits the 
ponds and marshes of hot climates ; runs quickly over 
water-grasses, and makes much noise. 

Gulls (Larus). — Bill, strong ; tail, nearly even; 
colors, light ; and head, white. 



88 BIRDS. 

e. The Black-headed Gull (Larus rudibundus) ; wings, 
white with black border ; back or mantle, silver-gray ; 
lower body, white ; bill and feet, red ; head and throat, 
dull-brown in summer ; white, w r ith dark spots on the 
ear, in winter. 

f. The Black-backed Gull ( L. marinus) is thirty inches 
long, and the wing nine inches ; mantle, blackish slate- 
color ; wings, ornamented with white ; feet, flesh-color. 
g. The Herring Gull (jL. argcntatus) is twenty- 
three inches long, the wing eighteen inches; the head, 
neck, under parts, rump, and tail, white ; back and 
wings, light blue-gray. 

Plate 28. 

a. The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is white, 
with ash-gray back and wings ; bill, red, straight and 
pointed ; tail, forked ; crest, black ; feet, red. This bird 
flies almost all day long, and generally does not swim. 
It darts down upon small marine animals, and is found 
along the sea-coasts. 

b. The Jager (Lestris) is much like the Gull; bill, 
indented, bent at the point; it lives on fish, insects, 
worms, and carcasses, the first of which it does not catch 
itself, but takes from the Gulls, to which it gives chase ; 
color, white brownish-gray. 

c. The Petrel (Procellaria) ; bill, short, slender, 
and bent at the point. It is six inches long ; plumage, 
rusty black and white. This bird is found far out at 
sea, a proof of its endurance in flying ; for it seldom or 
never swims. Before a storm, it seeks protection on 
rocks, or on ships ; for this reason, seamen consider it 
the harbinger of evil. 



BIRDS. 89 

d. The Albatross (Vlomedea) ; bill, very strong, the 
upper mandible curved at the point ; feet, three-toed, 
with large webs ; color, generally white, though it varies 
much. The Albatross is as large as a swan. It inhabits 
southern seas, builds its nest on earth-hills, and lives on 
fish ; eggs, savory ; flesh, unsavory. 

e. The Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) ; 
bill, very long, and hooked at the end ; under the lower 
mandible, and opening into the throat, is a very large, 
naked, and elastic pouch. The old birds are pale-pink, 
the young ones whitish. The Pelican is six feet long, 
and weighs from twenty to twenty-five pounds ; it is 
found in the Mediterranean sea, and can fly extremely 
high ; its note resembles the braying of an ass ; it can 
swallow a fish of several pounds' weight, and retains a 
store of provisions in its pouch. Eggs, from two to 
five ; breeding-places, marshy islands. 

Cygnus, or Swan Family. — Bill, of equal breadth ; 
neck, extremely long and graceful. The Swan prefers 
the water to the land, and feeds on marine plants and 
insects. 

f. The Common Swan ( Cygnus olor) is four and a 
half feet long ; bill, reddish-yellow ; plumage, white; feet, 
black. The Swan is found wild everywhere in Europe, 
and on sea-coasts, rivers, and lakes. In autumn, flocks 
of forty to fifty collect and go southward. The Swan 
sw r ims proudly, but can fly well and high. The female 
lays from six to eight eggs in a miserable nest, which 
she uses year after year. 

g. The Singing Swan (C musicus) ; bill, yellow 
at the root, and black at the end ; plumage and feet, 
like the preceding. It inhabits the northern portions of 

8* 



90 BIRDS. 

America, Europe, and Siberia. It has a sonorous note, 
which has given rise to the fairy tales of the singing 
Swan. 

h. The Goose (Anser) ; bill, orange-yellow, strong, 
and narrower at the point than at the root. The legs of 
the Goose are set in the middle of the body, which 
accounts for the Goose walking much easier than the 
Duck, or the Swan. Geese are found on water and 
land, and live on water-grasses and grain. This is the 
parent of our domestic Goose. 

Plate 29. 

a. left. The Field Goose (.Anser segetum). Its black 
bill is orange-color in the middle ; wings, longer than 
the tail. This Goose is found in the north of America, 
Europe, and Asia. It is a careful and watchful bird ; 
migrates, under a leader, in large flocks. 

b. left. The Bernacle (A. bernicla) ; head, neck, bill, 
and wings, black ; about the neck, a white ring. It 
breeds in the polar zones, and comes accidentally into 
the temperate zones. It is found in immense flocks on 
the French and Danish coasts in winter. 

The Duck Family (Anas) is distinguished from the 
Goose by its flat and equally broad bill, by its horny 
tongue, and by its short neck. 

a. and right b. The Eider Duck (Alias (Somateria) 
mollissima). Two naked lines run from the fawn-colored 
bill to the forehead ; the top of the head is black. 
The male is whitish ; belly, tail, and lower wing-feath- 
ers, brownish ; the female, brown, spotted with black. 
This bird inhabits the extreme north of both hemi- 



BIRDS. 91 

spheres, lives near the sea, and' never goes farther south 
than the Hebrides. It swims, flies, and dives well, 
and is much sought for its eggs, and more for its down, 
which is of the finest and best quality known. Five 
pounds of eider down are sufficient to fill a good- sized 
bed. 

d.. The Harlequin Duck (A. (Glanguld) histrionica) ; 
plumage of the male, bluish-gray, with black and brown 
spots, and two white rings about the neck ; the bril- 
liant spots wanting in the female. Bill of this Duck, 
very small; tail, pointed. It measures seventeen and a 
half inches. 

e. The Tufted, or Velvet Duck (A. (Oidemia) fused) , 
has a white patch round the eye, and white on the 
wings ; male, black ; female, rusty. It inhabits the 
north of America, Europe, and Asia, and is accidental 
upon the Swiss lakes. 

f The Common Duck (A. hoschas) ; head and upper 
parts, mostly green, with a violet gloss ; it has a white 
ring around the middle of the neck ; fore part, and sides 
of the breast, brown. It is generally diffused, and 
everywhere well known. This is the original of the 
common domestic duck. 

g. The Common Sheldrake (A. (Tadorna) vaJpan- 
ser) ; head and neck, green ; back, black ; under parts, 
yellowish-red ; bill, red ; upper parts of the female, 
lighter than those of the male ; lower parts, the same 
color. The Sheldrake is twenty-six inches long. It 
is found in the temperate zones of America and 
Europe. 

h. The Cracker, (A. (Dafild) acuta) ; above and on the 
sides, ash-gray, finely waved with black ; lower parts, 



92 BIRDS. 

white ; head, dark-brown ; wings of the male orna- 
mented with green ; of the female, with red ; central 
tail-feathers, black, and much elongated. The Cracker, 
or Pintail, is found in the northern part of both hemi- 
spheres. 

Plate 30. 

a. The Green-headed Goosander (Mergus) ; bill, much 
serrated, long and narrow ; the head and neck of the 
male, black, with a greenish gloss ; lower parts, whitish 
salmon-color; neck, pure white; female, less brilliant; 
is found as far north as Lat. 54° ; common to both hemi- 
spheres. 

b. The Crested Grebe (Pocliccps cristatus) ; bill, 
straight, slender, and pointed ; toes, each separate, and 
surrounded by a web. In the spring, its head is covered 
with tufts ; plumage, above, dark-brown ; below, bril- 
liant silver-white. The skin of the Grebe is used for 
fur. Its food consists of frogs, fish, and insects. Nine 
species, varying in length, belong to North America. 

c. The Diver (Colymbus), of the northern regions, 
is as large as a Goose ; its bill is about four inches long ; 
head and neck, brilliant black ; throat and back of the 
neck, banded with white ; back, black, spotted with 
white ; lower parts, white ; feet, fully webbed ; tail, 
short and rounded. 

d. The Guillemot (Uriti); color, black; a white 
patch on the wing ; bill, straight and pointed ; wings, 
short; feet, red. The Guillemot lives on fish, and 
swims and dives well. The female lays but one egg, 
and that of considerable size ; she is so zealous in breed- 
ing, that she often allows herself to be taken on the 



BIRDS. 93 

nest. Flesh, eggs, and feathers used particularly by the 
inhabitants of the Faroe Islands. 

e. The Great Auk (Alca impennis) is two and a half 
feet long ; bill, flattened and grooved ; upper parts, 
black ; lower parts, and a spat over the eye, white ; its 
wings are too small for flying. It inhabits the polar 
regions, and is seldom seen. 

f. The Puffin {Mormon fratercida) has a very high, 
short, red and yellow bill, obliquely grooved on the 
sides ; upper parts, crown, and neck, black ; lower parts, 
white ; cheeks, light-gray. The Puffin is an Arctic 
bird ; it makes its nest in a burrow, which it digs to a 
considerable depth. The flesh and large eggs of the 
Puffin are good for food, and its skin is used for fur. 

g. The Penguin, or Manchot (Aptenodytes) ; bill, 
straight, upper mandible longer than the lower ; feet, 
four-toed ; tail, short and stiff ; wings, very small, and 
fringed with hornlike scales. This bird, of the cold re- 
gions of the southern hemisphere, swims continually, fly- 
ing under water with its wings, and goes on shore only 
to lay its eggs. It is about the size of a Goose, black 
above, and white below. 



SERPENTS. 



Plate 1. 



Serpents. (Serpcntes), (Ojjhidia). — Serpents have 
a long cylindrical body, and are generally covered with 
scales, which are largest under the belly. Although 
they have no feet, they move with extreme rapidity, by 
means of their spine, which consists of many vertebrae, 
often more than two hundred ; and the numerous ribs 
extending nearly the whole length of the body, with the 
vertebrae, making up most of the skeleton. The heart 
is provided with two auricles ; the lung is single, and 
extends nearly the whole length of the body; the 
tongue is long, soft, very distinctly forked, and can be 
stretched out very far, and is altogether harmless. The 
voice is only a hissing. The mouth is extremely dilat- 
able, so that they can swallow animals much thicker 
than themselves ; during the very slow process of diges- 
tion, they fall into a torpid state. Serpents cast their 
skins, at least, once a year, and attain a great age. 
Some serpents lay their eggs in sand or manure ; others, 
especially venomous snakes, are viviparous. In cold 
countries the serpent falls into a torpid state in winter. 
They are dangerous to man, on account of their size and 
ferocity, and more especially by the deadly poison con- 
tained in a gland behind and above the hook-like and 



SERPENTS. 95 

retractile teeth. There are serpents which are not poi- 
sonous, and which may be eaten. The greater part live 
on the land ; a few only live in the water. 

a. The Boa (Jioa constrictor). The head distinct from 
the body, tail provided with a small hook on each side 
of the anus, jaws armed with teeth, and rudiments of 
hind limbs, or spur-like appendages. It is from twenty 
to thirty feet long, and the most terrible of all serpents. 
It not only attacks man, but large animals. Winding 
itself around its prey, it crushes the bones, moistens 
with saliva, and then swallows it whole. When sati- 
ated, the Boa falls into a torpid state, when it is easily 
killed. Its skin is variegated ; it is an inhabitant of the 
hot regions of South America. The Python lives in 
Africa. 

b. The Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) ; tail, flat 
and provided with a rattle, which consists of movable 
horny rings, with which they make a peculiar noise 
when alarmed. This poisonous snake of America is 
six feet long, but less dangerous than is generally rep- 
resented by travellers. It is a lazy animal, which moves 
out of man's way, if not provoked. Its food consists of 
hares, birds, and water-animals, which, as they swim 
easily, they catch in ponds and rivers. The Rattlesnake 
is eaten by the Indians, after the head is taken off. 

Plate 2. 

a. The Spectacle, or Cobra de capello, Snake (JSTaja 
tripudians) is distinguished by a black line upon the 
neck, resembling the figure of a pair of spectacles. It 
is from two to four feet long, and the most poisonous 



96 SERPENTS. 

snake of the Old World ; but is frequently tamed by the 
jugglers of India, who extract its poisonous fangs. 

b. The Common Vipek (Viper a berus) ; brown, with a 
double row of transverse spots on the sides, and dark 
crescent-formed spots upon the head. Its length is about 
two feet ; it is found in all Europe, but particularly in 
woody and mountainous countries. The bite of this ser- 
pent is most dangerous in warm countries ; at times, 
causing speedy death. Unprovoked, it is harmless. 

c. The Ringed Snake (Coluber natrix) is steel-col- 
ored ; the head of the male is encircled by a yellow 
necklace ; the belly is whitish, with square spots ; it is 
from three to four feet in length. Its food consists of 
moles, mice, frogs, and small fish. It is found over all 
Europe. It swims well, and can remain for a long time 
under water ; it climbs trees, and remains in holes dur- 
ing the winter in a torpid state. 

(L The Esculapian Snake ( C. Esculapii) ; above, 
brownish ; below, yellowish. It is five feet long, and 
can be tamed ; found in the southern part of Europe. 

Plate 3. 

a. The Smooth Snake (C. Icevis) ; scales on the 
back, smooth ; upper part of the body, reddish-brown, 
or green, with two rows of irregular dark spots run- 
ning lengthwise the body. It is not poisonous, but easily 
excited, and bites fiercely ; found in Germany. 

b. The Yellow Water Snake ( C. flavescens) is five 
feet long ; brown or grayish-brown, belly whitish-yel- 
low ; scales on the back, smooth ; those on the belly, 
rough. 



LIZARDS. 97 

c. The Water Snake (Hydrus) ; found only in hot 
climates ; lives in rivers and seas ; is very poisonous ; 
its tail is compressed and flat. 

d. The common blind worm, or Glass Snake (An- 
guis fragilis). The body of this reptile is covered with 
overlapping scales ; tail, long and shining, and easily 
broken ; its color is reddish -brown, with elongated 
black lines on the back ; it grows to the length of one 
and a half feet, and frequents sunny places. As it 
renders itself useful by consuming snails, insects, and 
worms, it ought not to be destroyed. At present, it is 
classed with the lizards, on account of the breast-bone. 
It is not blind. 

Plate 4. 

Lizards (Saurians). — These are scaly, long-tailed 
reptiles, generally having four feet furnished with nails. 
The mouth is large, and armed with teeth. The young 
slip out of the thin, calcareous egg in perfect form. 
Most lizards live on land ; crocodiles generally live in 
the water. 

a. The Alligator, or Cayman (Alligator (Croco- 
dilus) lucius) . The muzzle of the Alligator is broad 
and obtuse. Its color is dark yellowish-brown above, 
changing into a lighter yellowish below, with single 
dark spots and lines. It is found in the Southern States 
of America, and is sometimes dangerous to man, and 
attacks boats. It devours all kinds of animals, — 
fish, muskrats, dogs, ducks, &c. It attains the length of 
fourteen to fifteen feet. 

b. The Nile Crocodile {Crocodilus vulgaris) is of a 
greenish color, with black cross-lines ; when full grown, 

9 



98 LIZARDS. 

it measures from twenty to thirty feet. The shields, or 
scales, are so hard on its back, that a ball cannot pene- 
trate them ; but the Crocodile is easily wounded under- 
neath, where its shields are soft. It inhabits the Nile 
and other large rivers of Africa; lies hidden in am- 
bush, among the reeds, and attacks the animals coming 
to drink. It is as timid on land as it is courageous in 
the water. Crocodiles attain the age of a hundred 
years. 

Plate 5. 

a. The Chameleon (Cham&leo Africanus) is a singu- 
lar animal, with long legs, angular head, large eyes, 
long and prehensile tail. Its lungs are very large, and 
can be strongly inflated, so that their red color* is seen 
through the body, and changes to black, yellow, or 
spotted ; the blood being more or less pushed towards 
the skin. The eyes move independently, one of the 
other, one looking up while the other looks down. The 
Chameleons are slow, lazy animals, which hold them- 
selves upon the trees, where they remain immovable. 
Their food consists of insects, which they take up with 
their long and sticky tongue ; they are found near the 
Nile, and in Southern Spain. 

b. The Common Lizard (Lacerta viridis) ; back, 
reddish-brown or green; abdomen, greenish-yellow. 
Lizards are common in dry places, under hedges and 
piles of stone. They are quick and agile in their move- 
ments, and are useful in destroying a great number of 
insects. 

c. The Nimble Lizard (L. muralis) is dark-gray, 
brown, or green above, with longitudinal black lines; 



LIZARDS. 99 

red or white, with black spots, below. It is found in 
Central Europe. 

d. The Leguan (Iguana) ; body and tail, covered 
with small scales ; along the back is a range of spines ; 
the throat has a pendent and compressed dewlap. Its 
color is greenish-yellow ; tail, banded with brown ; its 
length, from four to five feet; its home is in the 
warmer countries of America. The Leguan is quick 
and nimble, lives on fruits and insects, and is generally 
found on trees. Its flesh and eggs are used for food. 

e. The Basilisk (Basiliscus) is entirely scaled, and the 
back furnished with a range of spines. This animal 
has no similarity to the fabulous Basilisk. It lives on 
trees ; but goes also into the water, and is harmless. 

/. The Flying Dragon (Draco volans) has a fold of 
skin, supported by extending ribs, which forms a sort 
of wing, and acts like a parachute in sustaining it, as it 
jumps from tree to tree, — often a distance of from 
twenty to thirty feet. The color of the upper parts is 
green ; the wing, brownish, with dark cross-lines. This 
little, harmless animal lives on trees in the East Indies, 
and hunts insects. 

Plate 6. 

Salamander (Salamandra). — The body of the Sala- 
mander is lengthy, tailed, and four-footed ; toes, with- 
out nails ; teeth, in the back part of the jaws. Its food 
consists of insects, worms, and snails. 

a. The Common Salamander (Salamander terrestris); 
body, covered with warts ; tail, round ; behind the ears 
are two large glands filled with holes. It is black, 



100 BATRACHIANS. 

spotted with yellow, and from six to seven inches long. 
It is found in Central and Southern Europe, in dark, 
moist places, particularly in mountainous countries. It 
moves slowly, and, like the toad, goes out at night. 
The female brings forth living young. 

b. The Triton, or Water, Newt ( Triton aquaticus) 
has small ear-glands ; tail, compressed. It is not so 
warty as the Salamander. It lives in the w r ater, and 
swims about quickly, but comes out in autumn to hide 
itself in the crevices of rocks and holes for its winter's 
sleep. It has an astonishing tenacity of life, freezing 
in the ice without being hurt. It also has a wonderful 
power to reproduce a lost part; a limb may be removed, 
and it will grow again. The Newt lays single eggs, 
which develop a tadpole, as seen in our illustration. 

c. The Proteus {Proteus) ; body, eel-like ; fore feet, 
short and far from each other ; the fore feet have three 
toes, and the hind ones only two ; the snout, smooth 
and obtuse ; both jaws, furnished w T ith teeth ; it has 
three spiracles on each side the neck, and these are cov- 
ered with three bright red branchial tufts, into which 
the blood from the head flows. This peculiar animal is 
found in the waters of Adelsberg Cave and Carniola, 
Zirknitz, and Sittlich. 

. d. The Gilled Salamander (Siren lacertina) is from 
twenty to twenty-four inches long. Its color is black, 
with light spots ; abdomen, purplish. It has an eel- 
like body, front feet, and spiracles and tufts like the 
Proteus. It feeds on worms and insects; lives in mud, 
and is common in the ditches of rice-fields, especially 
in South Carolina. 



BATRACHIANS. 101 



Plate 7. 



Frogs and Toads. — The changes which the Frog 
undergoes, until it comes to its perfect state, are very- 
remarkable. The female lays all her eggs at once ; 
these form a kind of skin in toads, or bunches in frogs 
(see Figs, a., &., &c, of this Plate), and are found only 
in the water. The egg is a slimy ball, with a black 
point in the middle, which is the embryo. This devel- 
ops itself into the tadpole, a fish-like creature without 
feet, and with a long tail. Behind the head are three 
branchial orifices, with tufts, through which the blood 
passes. After some days, the skin grows over these 
orifices, and there remains only a small hole on the left 
side. Then the extremities begin to appear, the pos- 
terior first; the tail is gradually absorbed, lungs take 
the place of gills, and the perfect frog is formed (see 
Plate). These are called Batrachians. 

The Toad (Bnfo) ; body, short and thick ; back, full 
of warts ; glands behind the ears ; hind legs, shorter 
than those of the Frog. In hot countries, there are 
species from eight to ten inches long. 

a. The Common Land Toad (Bufo cinereus) ; dingy- 
gray, with large brown warts ; when full grown, it meas- 
ures from five to six inches in length, and is very thick- 
bodied. It lives in dark, wet places, in gardens and 
old buildings, and is nocturnal. Its food consists of 
insects and worms. Toads lay their eggs in two strings 
of forty feet in length ; number of eggs, twelve hundred. 
They live to a great age. 

b. The Red, or Crossed, Toad (B. calamita) ; two 

9* 



102 BATRACHIANS. 

inches long ; back, olive-brown, with reddish-brown 
warts ; the middle of the back, a long yellow stripe. 
In spring, it resorts to the pools to lay its eggs ; at other 
times, it keeps in dark, damp places. 

c. The Great Brazilian Toad, or Pipa {Pipa Amen- 
carta); the front toes are long, round, and equal, back 
toes united by a web ; body, covered with rough warts. 
The Pipa is six inches long ; lives in Brazil and Guiana. 
Its flesh is eaten by the negroes. As soon as the 
eggs are laid, the male rubs them on the back of the 
female ; the swelling skin form cells around the eggs, 
in which the tadpoles are developed in about three 
months, during which time the female remains in the 
water. 

d. The French Frog (Rana esculentd) ; upper parts, 
green ; lower parts, white ; all spotted with black ; 
three yellow lines run down the back. Its color is 
handsomest in the spring ; later in the season, it changes 
to a bluish. These Frogs live in ponds, which they 
leave for short distances, and jump into the water again 
at the approach of danger. They pass the winter in the 
mud, and rouse from their winter sleep about the first 
of May. They lay their eggs in June ; but their 
young are not perfectly formed until autumn. They 
feed on insects. Their flesh is delicate. 

e. The Green Tree-frog (Hyla arborea) is of a beau- 
tiful green above, and white below, covered with small 
warts. The upper and lower parts are divided by a 
yellow line, with a black edge. The male makes a 
loud noise in the breeding season, and when the weather 
is about to change. In some country villages, they are 
kept in glasses as weather prophets. 



TURTLES. 103 



Plate 8. 



Turtles (Testudinata). — Turtles are distinguished 
from all other animals by having their body enclosed in 
a shield, which consists of two parts, the upper called 
carapace, the lower, plastron. From this shield pro- 
trude head, feet, and tail, as movable parts. The jaws 
are covered with a horny substance, and destitute 
of true teeth. Turtles are very tenacious of life, and 
indifferent to wounds ; they can live a long time with- 
out food ; they move and grow very slowly, but attain 
a great age. Some species weigh from seven to eight 
hundred pounds. They lay their eggs in the sand to 
be hatched by the sun. The flesh of many kinds is 
savory. They subsist on snails, worms, insects, small 
fish, and some kinds of vegetables. 

a. The Giant, or Green, Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) ; 
the back shield has thirteen plates ; full grown, it weighs 
five hundred pounds or more. It is much esteemed for 
food ; and great numbers are caught on shore at night, 
as they come there in troops to deposit their eggs. 
They are found in the warm parts of the Atlantic coast 
of America. 

b. The Land Tortoise (Testudo Grceca) ; shell, high 
and arched ; legs and feet so arranged that the body is 
raised free from the ground. It feeds on plants, insects, 
and worms ; it has been known to live twelve days 
after its head was cut off. Kept in a garden, one Turtle 
lays from thirty to forty eggs, toward the end of June, 
in a pile of sand ; the young are not developed until 



104 TURTLES. 

the end of September. This Tortoise inhabits the coasts 
of the Mediterranean. 

c. The Carret Turtle ((7. imbricata) ; the plates 
overlap like tiles ; they are transparent, and beauti- 
fully marbled with yellow, red, and brown ; it is also 
known under the name of Hawk's-bill, or Tortoise-shell 
Turtle. It inhabits the warm parts of the Atlantic, and 
is nearly as large as the Giant Turtle. Its eggs are 
used for food ; but its flesh is considered unhealthy,. 

d. The Marsh, or Kiver, Tortoise (Emys.) The toes 
of this Tortoise are separate, and armed with sharp nails. 
The carapace is black, the plates arranged in rows. 
It is common in rivers and ponds. 



FISHES. 



Plate 9. 

Fishes have cold blood, and breathe by means of 
gills. The difference of form in this class of animals is 
best seen by our illustration. Most fishes are scaly, some 
are naked, others spinous, and others mailed. Instead of 
limbs, as in the higher class of animals, fishes have fins as 
instruments of motion. Their senses of smell, sight, and 
hearing depend on organs analogous to those of other 
vertebrates. The nostrils are simple cavities at the end 
of the muzzle. The organ of hearing consists of a sac 
enclosed in the bones of the head. The tongue is gen- 
erally immovable, covered with a rough skin, or armed 
with teeth, and therefore not to be considered as an 
organ o£ taste. The organs of digestion are similar to 
those of the higher class of animals. The jaws, tongue, 
and sometimes the palate, are armed with teeth, which 
are not for chewing, but seizing, the food. The 
females have two long sacs, which, in the spawning 
season, are filled with eggs ; the males have similar sacs, 
which contain the so-called milt. The female lays her 
eggs all at once, attaching them to stones and aquatic 
plants, after which- they are fecundated by the milt of 
the male. Fishes produce a far greater number of eggs 
than any other vertebrates, often millions ; for example, 



106 FISHES. 

the Cod is said to produce some 9,000,000. The gills 
lie on each side of the neck, and consist of fringes sus- 
pended on arches, and traversed by innumerable blood- 
vessels. In some species, the great opening of the gills 
is closed by means of the branchial membrane. Fishes 
keep currents of water flowing over their gills, where the 
blood, which is continually sent from the heart, is puri- 
fied. Fishes die when the gills dry up, and the blood 
can no longer circulate. As the lungs are wanting, fishes 
have no voice. The true function of the so-called swim- 
ming-bladder is not known ; it is probably a rudimen- 
tary lung. The skeleton of fish is not always of hard 
bone, but cartilaginous, and hardens with age. Fishes 
migrate from seas to rivers to lay their spawn. They are 
voracious, and feed mostly on smaller members of their 
own class ; although a few feed on vegetable matters. 
Fishes are everywhere an important article of food ; and 
fishing is the chief occupation of many inhabitants of 
coasts and islands. They are divided into Bony and 
Cartilaginous. Most fishes are oviparous, some are vi- 
viparous. 

CARTILAGINOUS FISHES . 

Shark Family, Squalidce. — Several species of this 
family are viviparous ; others produce eggs covered 
with a horny substance. 

a. The White Shark {Squalus ( Carcharias) vulgaris) 
has five gill-openings on each side ; the body is long ; 
skin, rough like a rasp ; behind the eyes are two orifices 
through which it spirts water. The jaws are furnished 
with six rows of sharp, saw-like teeth. This Shark is 
one of the most voracious of animals, not only swallow- 



FISHES. 107 

ing fish, but man, in whose neighborhood it lurks. 
Sharks are sought for their liver, from which excellent 
oil is made ; and for their skin, which is used for the 
covering of trunks. 

b. The Hammer-headed Shark (S. (Zyg&na) mal- 
leus) ; head, flattened horizontally, with the sides later- 
ally extended. This peculiarly formed fish attains the 
length of twelve feet, and is extremely bold and vora- 
cious. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea, and the 
Atlantic Ocean. 

c. The Saw-fish ($. (Pristis) antiquorum) ; snout, 
long and depressed, armed on each side with pointed 
spines, flattened like teeth ; this is a terrible instrument, 
with which they attack even whales. 

Plate 10. 

Ray, or Skate Family. — Body, flat and almost en- 
tirely surrounded by fins ; eyes and nasal orifices, above ; 
mouth and branchial openings, below. The tail re- 
sembles a handle ; mouth, armed with pavement-like 
teeth. Skates live on the bottom of the sea, and feed 
on other animals ; fully grown, they weigh from one to 
two hundred pounds. The flesh is eaten, and the liver 
used for oil ; its egg-cases are brown, and rectangular 
with the angles extending into points. 

a. The Eagle Skate (Raja (Myliobatis) aquila) ; 
tail, with one fin ; teeth, like pavements ; found in the 
Mediterranean Sea, and growing to a great size. 

b. The Electric Skate (jR. (Torpedo) marmorata) ; 
skin, smooth, of a yellowish-red color, and spotted. 
This fish weighs from fifteen to twenty pounds, and has 



108 FISHES. 

the peculiar quality of an electric machine. If one 
attacks it, the arm receives an electric shock which be- 
numbs it for some time. This Torpedo lives on the 
European coast, particularly that of the Mediterranean. 

c. The Spinous Ray (jR. rubus) is provided with bent 
thorns ; found in the North Sea. 

The Lamprey Family. — Petromyzonidce ; seven bran- 
chial openings on each side, and the vertebrae carti- 
laginous and very soft. The tongue in these animals 
moves backward and forward like a piston, enabling 
them to produce a vacuum, and thus attach themselves 
to stones and animals, and bore into the largest fish. 

d. The Lamprey {Petromyzon marinus) ; mouth, fur- 
nished with several circular rows of teeth ; length, from 
two to three feet; color, green, marbled with brown. 
The Lamprey is found in the European seas, particu- 
larly the North Sea; in spring, it ascends far up the 
rivers. Its flesh is pleasant to the taste, but not very 
digestible. 

e. The Nine-eyed Lamprey (P. fluviatilis) has only 
one row of teeth in its mouth ; its two back fins are 
separated ; its length, not more than from twelve to 
fifteen inches ; 'back, blackish ; sides, yellowish. They 
live in European rivers ; are eatable in winter only. 

/. The Fringed-lipped Lamprey (P. JPlaneri); length, 
eight to ten inches ; back fins united ; this fish is like- 
wise found in European rivers. 

g. The Sandprey {Petromyzon branchialis) is found 
mostly in slimy brooks, and resembles the preceding. 



FISHES. 109 



Plate 11. 



a. The Sea-owl, or Lump-sucker (Cyclopterus lum- 
pus) makes use of the fins beneath its body to fix itself 
to stones and other objects. It inhabits the North and 
Baltic Seas. Pennant states, that, upon putting one into 
a pail of water, it adhered so firmly, that he lifted the 
whole pailful, — several gallons, — by taking hold of the 
fish by the tail. 

b. The Sea-devil, or Common Angler (Lophius 
piscatorius) ; head, very broad and frog-like. The 
whole animal seems to be nothing but head and tail ; 
mouth very large, and armed with three rows of teeth 
below, and two above. The chin has a thread-like 
beard. Color above, brownish ; below, whitish. They 
are found in the North and Mediterranean Seas, and 
are two to six feet long. They are seldom eaten. 

c. The Sturgeon (Acipenser) ; mouth lying on the 
under side, small and toothless. Sturgeons resemble 
sharks ; but the body is furnished with rows of single, 
bony plates. The snout projects far over its small 
mouth. They inhabit the seas, but ascend far up into 
the rivers, attain a great size, and often weigh from 
nine hundred to one thousand pounds. The flesh is 
savory. Prom their roe the well-known caviare is 
made, and isinglass is prepared from their swimming- 
bladder. 

d. The Common Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) ; skin, 
rough, furnished with five rows of pyramidal plates. 
The Sturgeon inhabits lakes and seas of many countries, 
from^vhich it ascends the rivers to spawn in the spring. 

10 



110 FISHES. 

The flesh somewhat resembles veal, and is eaten fresh, 
salted, or pickled. Caviare is an important article of 
commerce in Russia. 

e. The Great Sturgeon (Acipenser huso) ; skin 
smooth, with rows of plates, which are smaller on the 
sides; color of the back, dark; sides, bluish; belly, 
whitish. When fully grown, it is about twenty-four 
feet long, and sometimes weighs two thousand eight 
hundred pounds. The sturgeon-fishery is very impor- 
tant on account of caviare and isinglass. 

f. The Sterlet {Acipenser ruthenus) is only three 
feet long, and is found in the Caspian Sea. 

Trunk-fish (Ostracion); body enclosed in a hard 
coat of mail, from which only the tail and fins protrude 
as movable parts. 

g. The Four-horned Coffer, or Trunk-fish (Ostra- 
cion cornutus (quadricornis), is four-cornered, and has two 
long horns before the eyes, and two under the tail. It 
attains the length of from eight to ten inches, and lives 
in warm seas. 

h. The Porcupine-fish (Diodon) ; body, round, and 
covered with spines. By taking air into its capacious 
stomach, this fish can inflate itself spherically ; and thus, 
erecting its spines, defend itself when in danger. They 
are found in the seas of hot countries, and attain the 
size of one or two feet. 

i. The Globe-fish (Tetraodoti) ; the belly so large 
that it projects beyond the mouth ; the head is short, 
and when the fish is inflated, it appears to be all belly. 
It lives in the Mediterranean and East-Indian Seas. 



FISHES. Ill 



Plate 12. 

a. Tne Short Sun-fish (Orthagoriscus mola) looks 
as if cut off behind, arid bound with a ribbon. When 
full grown, it weighs several hundred pounds, and is 
said to shine in the night. It is found in the Mediter- 
ranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. 

b. The Great Pipe-fish (Sijiignathus acus) ; head, 
with a long snout, at the end of which lies the small, 
toothless mouth. The development of the young is 
very curious. The male receives the eggs in sacs, 
formed by the swelling of the skin of his belly. The 
young are hatched in these pockets, which open and 
let them out. 

c. The Sea-horse (Hippocampus) ; belly, seven- 
edged ; tail, prehensile ; in head and neck resembling 
a horse ; length, from three to six inches. When alive, 
the Sea-horse is straight; in death, it crooks itself like 
the letter S. It is found in the Mediterranean. 

d. The Sea-dragon (Pegasus draco) differs from the 
Sea-horse in the snout projecting far over the mouth; 
the breast-fins, wing-like ; and the belly-fins, like simple 
threads. This fish is about one and a half feet long, 
and is found in the East-Indian Seas. 

BONY FISHES. 

A. Apodes. — These fishes are soft-finned, without 
ventrals. 

e. Electric Eel (Gymnotus electricus) ; body, elon- 
gated and covered with thick, soft skin ; the back fin 
reaches to the point of the tail ; the upper jaw projects 



112 FISHES. 

over the under; the color is reddish; the length, from 
four to six feet. This curious fish is found in the ponds 
and rivers of South America. It imparts such powerful 
electric shocks, that horses which are driven into the 
water, and men who attempt to seize it, are often pros- 
trated by it. 

f. The Common Eel {Anguilla acutirostris) ; body, 
cylindrical, nearly naked, furnished with breast and 
back fins ; the scales are small, and quite imbedded in 
the slimy skin ; color, dark-green, lighter on the sides, 
and silvery or yellowish on the belly. The usual 
length is from one to three feet; but there are also 
larger ones. It is found in most European rivers. It 
feeds on insects, worms, and fish roes. The Eel is 
tenacious of life ; its flesh is savory, but hard to digest. 

g. The Conger Eel ( Gymnothorax (Murcena) Helena) 
has only one spinal fin, and mottled brown and yellow. 
This fish is found in the Mediterranean Sea, grows to 
three or more feet, and is exceedingly voracious. Its 
flesh is very savory, and was highly prized by the 
Romans. 

A. Sea-wolf, Sea-cat, Swine-fish (Anarrhichas 
lupus); body, smooth and slimy; mouth, large, and 
armed with many teeth. It feeds on crabs and shell- 
fish ; is from five to seven feet long, and inhabits the 
Atlantic. Its flesh is eaten fresh, dried, or salted; 
and the Icelanders make use of its skin for shoes. 

i. Sword-fish (Xiphias gladius) ; back, violet-color ; 
belly and sides, white ; body, spindle-shaped, with 
scales almost invisible. The mouth is toothless, but 
very rough. The upper jaw terminates in a very long, 
flat, sharp sword, with which it cuts down the sea- 



FISHES. 113 

plants upon which it feeds. This fish lives in the 
Mediterranean Sea, and sometimes comes into the 
Baltic; it is* twenty feet long, and weighs from four 
to five hundred pounds. Its flesh is pleasant to the 
taste ; and the fins, which are salted, are regarded as 
delicacies. 

Plate 13. 

B. Jugulares. — These fishes have fins on the 
throat or neck. 

a. The Star-gazer (TJranoscopus scaber) ; head, flat 
and warty ; the eyes appear to be looking to the sky ; 
mouth, cut vertically. This fish is armed with two pairs 
of retractile spines ; it is never more than fourteen 
inches long ; is edible, and found chiefly in the Medi- 
terranean. 

5. The Common Hake (Gadus (Merlucius) vulgaris*) 
has two dorsal fins. The Hake is from twenty to thirty 
inches long ; is of a reddish-brown color ; is generally 
caught with the hook at night, salted and dried. 

c. The Common Ling (6r. (Lota) molva, barbatus), 
is rather long ; has a projecting upper jaw and a bar- 
bel. It is peculiar to Norway, and used as the stock- 
fish. 

d. The Cod (<?. (Morrhua) vulgaris} has three dor- 
sal fins ; and on the mouth a barbel. It is from two to 
three feet long, and weighs fourteen to thirty pounds, 
and sometimes more. The Cod is found between forty 
and seventy-five degrees north latitude. It is olive-green 
above, and whitish beneath, with yellowish spots on the 
sides. Some twenty thousand men are employed in 
the cod-fisheries off the American coast; and, although 

10* 



114 FISHES. 

millions are caught yearly, their number is undimin- 
ished, inasmuch as one female has from four to eight 
million eggs. The Cod is usually salted, and is an im- 
portant article of commerce. 

e. Haddock (6r. (Morrhud) (Bglefinus) is also a valu- 
able fish ; brown above, and silvery- white below. 

f. The Dorse (Cr. gallarias); head and back, brown; 
sides, silvery, lined and spotted. The Dorse is found in 
the Baltic and North Seas, and is much sought, on ac- 
count of its savory flesh. 

g. The Poor, or Power, Cod (6r. minutus) is scarcely 
eight inches long, and of a yellowish-brown color. 

A. The Burbot, or Eelpout (6r. lota), has two 
dorsal fins, and jaws of equal length. The body is 
black, mottled with yellow, and covered with slime. 
The head is large and flat. The Burbot is the only 
species of this family which lives in fresh water. It is 
from two to three feet long, and weighs from ten to 
twelve pounds ; its flesh is savory ; liver, highly valued. 

Plate 14. 

a. The viviparous Blenny (Blennius viviparus) is 
about six inches in length ; nostrils, tube-like ; covered 
with a slimy mucus. The Blenny inhabits the North 
and Baltic Seas. Its flesh is of little value. In the 
female, there are often found three hundred young 
ones. 

(7. Thoracici. — These fishes have the ventrals on 
the breast, directly under the pectorals. 

b. The Black Goby, or Rockfish (Gobius nige?'), is 
yellowish, with blackish-brown spots ; rather small ; it 



FISHES. 115 

lives at the bottom of the sea, and feeds on worms. Its 
flesh is savory ; it spawns at the mouth of rivers. 

c. The Sucking Fish (Echeneis remora) ; caudal fin 
pointed ; the back, black ; sides, lighter ; head covered 
with singularly formed plates, which can slide forward 
and back, and by means of which they attach them- 
selves to vessels and sharks. They are found in the 
Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean ; they measure from 
one to two feet, and are not good for food. 

d. The Dragon's Head (Scorjjcenct) has a spiny head ; 
the back has only one fin ; the ventral is broad, and 
under it is an oval fin ; around the head is a pointed 
collar, which gives it a very peculiar appearance. It is 
found in the Mediterranean and North Seas, and is over 
three feet long ; its flesh, which is lean and tough, is 
eaten by the Italians . 

e. The Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) has small fins 
on each side of the tail; the back is blue, with small, 
black lines ; upper parts, silvery. It is from twelve to 
twenty-four inches long, and weighs from one to three 
pounds. Mackerel are found in shoals, on the Atlantic 
coasts. The flesh is savory, and is eaten both fresh and 
salted. The mackerel-fishery is an important branch of 
commerce. It is a voracious fish, and dangerous to 
herrings . 

f. The Tunny (Scomber (Tkynnus) vulgaris') has 
from eight to ten fins on its tail ; the back is steel-blue, 
sides silvery, and the pectorals yellowish. It is gener- 
ally from one to two feet long ; occasionally twelve to 
eighteen feet, and sometimes weighs five hundred pounds. 
The Tunny is widely diffused, and very voracious. The 
time of spawning is in May and June, when they move 



116 FISHES. 

to the shores in immense shoals. The Tunny is an im- 
portant fish to the Sicilians, who employ large nets, 
divided into compartments, in their fishery. Its flesh is 
red and nutritious, and eaten salted and fresh. 

g. The Stickle-back (Gasterosteus) has one dorsal 
fin, with three spines before it ; the body is of metallic 
brilliancy, being covered with silvery scales as far as the 
tail. In place of the ventral, it has a single spine, which 
affords it protection from voracious fish in the rivers, 
where it abounds. It is caught for oil, and for food for 
ducks and pigs. It builds a nest for its young. 

h. The Climbing Perch (Anabas scandens) has a 
long, broad head ; it is found in the East Indies, and 
climbs bushes and trees, by means of the anal spines. 

i. The River Bull-head, or Miller's Thumb (Cot- 
tus gobio), has a very thick head, slimy and warty 
body ; color, brown above, and white below ; it has two 
dorsals and one ventral fin. The Bull-head is found in 
brooks, and is seldom more than seven inches long. It 
swims rapidly, and its flesh is savory and healthy. 

Gurnards (Trigla). — Spine-rayed fishes, which 
have the head variously mailed. 

'Jc. The Grey Gurnard (Trigla gurnardus); the head 
enclosed in a bony mail ; two dorsal fins. It inhabits 
the North Sea, and feeds upon mussels, and is used for 
food. 

1. The Flying Gurnard (T. volitans) has beautiful 
green pectorals, spotted with blue ; the body is violet 
above, and silvery beneath. These Gurnards are found 
in shoals, in the seas of hot countries, but are rarely 
seen in European seas ; they fly out of the sea when 
pursued by voracious fishes. 



FISHES. 117 



Plate 15. 

a. The Dory, or Doree (Zeus faber); body, flat; its 
first dorsal has projecting, bony spines ; on each side of 
its gold-colored body is a gray spot ; back, dark ; 
mouth, furnished with small teeth. The Dory is found 
in the Mediterranean and North Seas ; its flesh, par- 
ticularly that of the larger kind, is savory. It measures 
from one to one and a third feet. 

b. The Sole (Pleuronectes (Soled) vulgaris); the 
only vertebrate whose body is not symmetrically formed. 
The eyes lie mostly above, on the right side, and the 
whole body is flat and compressed, so that when the 
mouth of the fish is turned toward the observer, 
the dorsal terminates one side, and the anal the other ; 
the anus lies near the head. Its color is grayish-brown, 
spotted with orange. There are many varieties of Soles ; 
their flesh is excellent, and it is eaten fresh and dried. 

c. The Halibut (P. (Hippo glossus) vulgaris). The 
body is smooth ; ash-gray on one side, and white on 
the other ; the side lines strongly curved over the pec- 
torals. It is from three to six feet long, and often 
weighs several hundred pounds. 

d. The Common Perch (Perca fluviatilis) ; scales, 
rough ; head, naked ; glossy yellow-green, with black 
cross-stripes ; lower fins, red. The Perch is common 
in lakes and rivers. It weighs from two to four pounds ; 
is exceedingly voracious, not sparing even its own kind. 
The flesh is savory and healthy. 

e. The Pike Perch (Perca luciopercd) is green, with 
brown cross-stripes. 



118 FISHES. 

f. The Ruffe, or Pope {Acer ma cernua) ; head, 
thick; color of the back, green, with black points; 
sides, yellowish; belly, white. It is from six to eight 
inches long ; is much esteemed for food. 

g. The Plain Mullet (Mullus surmuletus, et barhatus) 
has long barbels on the lower jaw ; Head, somewhat 
depressed ; color, a beautiful pink, with golden stripes. 
This fish is most abundant in the Mediterranean, though 
inhabiting the fresh waters and coasts of temper- 
ate and tropical regions. Its flesh is savory, and it was 
highly valued by the ancient Romans. 

h. Rainbow Wrasse (Labrus (Julis) vulgaris) is from 
three to four inches in length ; lips, thick and movable ; 
color above is blue with orange stripes. It is found in 
the Mediterranean Sea, and sometimes attaches itself to 
the feet of bathers. 

D, Abdominales. — These fishes have ventrals be- 
hind the pectorals, like feet. 

i. The Gray Mullet (Mngil cejphalus), is covered 
with large scales, or plates. This fish is one foot long. 
It is found on our coasts. 

Plate 16. 

a. The Loach (Cobitis barbatuld) has six barbels 
about the mouth ; the head is smooth ; body, cylindri- 
cal and gray, marbled with white. The Loach attains 
the length of from three to four inches, and is found in 
clear streams with gravelled bottom. Its flesh is tender 
and agreeable. 

b. The Ground Loach (C fossilis) has ten barbels 
around the mouth ; its body is black, with long yellow 



FISHES. 119 

stripes ; the belly is orange-color, with black spots. It 
attains a length of ten to twelve inches, lives in the 
slime of rivers and ponds, which it disturbs when the 
weather changes; for which reason it is sometimes kept 
in glasses, with sand and water, to foretell the weather. 

c. The Spined Loach (C tcenid) has a forked-like 
spine under the eye ; it has an elongated row of black 
spots on its yellowish sides. It attains the length of five 
inches ; its flesh is tough. 

d. The Sheat-fish (Silurus) has two long barbels 
above the mouth, and four short ones below ; the head, 
compressed, frog-like ; the back is round, and greenish- 
black ; belly, pale-green ; and the whole spotted with 
black. It attains the length of six feet, and weighs 
about one hundred pounds. The flesh is white, flat, 
and sweetish. It is very voracious. 

e. The Common Flying-fish (Exoccetus volitans). 
The pectorals of this fish are about as long as its body. 
They are found in warm and temperate seas ; the species 
vary from three to twelve inches in length. They can 
sustain themselves in the air for a few moments ; their 
flesh is savory, but dry. 

/. The Herring (Clupea harengus). Its head is 
small ; the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper ; the 
body is much compressed ; silvery, with a blackish back. 
It is about ten inches long. The Herring inhabits the 
northern seas. Whole fleets of vessels go out to catch 
Herrings. Thousands of millions are taken in a year, 
and perhaps as many more fall a prey to voracious fish. 
They are smoked and salted. The Dutch understand 
best this preparation ; and, on that account, the Dutch 
Herrings are much esteemed. 



120 FISHES. 

g. The Anchovy (C (Engraulis) encrasicolus) . Its 
upper jaw is" protruding ; the body is slender and silvery, 
about a span in length. It is a native of the North and 
Mediterranean Seas, where it is caught in immense num- 
bers for exportation. 

Cyprinidce, or Carp Family. — There are many 
species in this family, of which we describe the follow- 
ing:— 

h. The Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) ; mouth, 
toothless, ornamented with four barbels ; the body is 
covered with large striped scales ; the back, dark-green ; 
the sides, yellowish ; and the belly, white. The Carp 
originated in Southern Europe, and was carried to Eng- 
land in 1514, and to Denmark in 1560; the farther 
north they go, the smaller they are. The river Carps 
are better than the pond Carps ; but the best are those 
which are kept in ponds through which a river flows. 
Carps are tenacious of life, and attain the weight of 
forty pounds. 

i. The Tench (C (Tinea) vulgaris)', barbels, very 
short ; fins, very thick and opaque ; the body, slender, 
and covered with small scales. Its colors are various : 
above, dark; beneath, changing to yellow; fins, dark- 
violet. The Tench lives in still waters, and attains a 
weight of from seven to eight pounds. Its flesh is ten- 
der, and agreeable to the taste. 

Plate IT. 

a. The Bream ((7. brama) grows broad and thick, 
weighs from tw r elve to twenty pounds, and is three feet 
long. Its scales are large ; back, dark-green ; sides, 



FISHES. 121 

silvery ; caudal, yellow. It is found mostly in northern 
waters. 

b. The Orf ((7. orphus) is orange-red, with silvery 
belly. It is bred as an ornament, the flesh being value- 
less. 

c. The German Carp ((7. carassius) is very broad, 
and but a span long, without barbels, and agreeable 
to the taste. 

d. The Red Eye (C erythrophthalmus) has red fins, 
and yellowish-red rings about its eyes* 

e. The Roach (C. {Leuciscus) rutilus) has also red 
fins and red rings about the eyes. 

f. The Ide ((7. {Leuciscus) idus) has a stout body, 
with red ventral and anal fins. 

g. The Chub ((7. (L.) Jeses) has a thick, stubbed 
head, bordered with blue ; scales, violet-color. Its 
flesh is savory. 

h. The Dobule Roach ( (7. (L.) dobida) ; above, dark 
olive-green ; belly, white ; pectorals, yellowish ; ventrals 
and anal, red. 

Plate 18. 

a. The Dace, Dare, Dart ( C. (Leuciscus) vulgaris) ; 
body, elongated; fins, grayish; very common in the 
south of Germany. 

b. The Nosed Carp (C nasus) is a slender fish; 
upper jaw protruding ; color, bluish ; fins, red ; com- 
mon in fresh water. 

c. The Minnow ( C. (Leuciscus) phoxinus) ; body, 
cylindrical ; color, variegated ; gills, yellow ; back, dark- 
blue ; abdomen, silvery. These beautiful little fish are 
very savory. 

11 



122 FISHES. 

d. The Prussian Carp (C. vimba) ; the upper jaw 
projecting over the lower one. It is one foot long. 

e. The Gray Carp (C amarus). These are the 
smallest of all Carps, being but two inches long, and 
half an inch broad. They are greenish-yellow above, 
and silvery below. They are bitter to the taste ; inhabit 
running water. 

f. The Gudgeon (C (Gobid) fluviatilis) has a slim 
body, is six inches long ; fins, reddish ; dorsals and 
caudal spotted with black. It is found in rivers and 
ponds with sandy bottoms, and is savory to the taste. 

g. The Barbel (C (Barbm) vulgaris). Its mouth 
has four barbels ; upper jaw protruding ; in body resem- 
bling the Pike ; back, olive-colored ; sides, whitish, 
with a_greenish tint ; fins, reddish. The Barbel prefers 
running waters and animal food. It weighs from six to 
fifteen pounds, and is esteemed for food. 

h. The White Bream (C blicca) ; pectorals and 
ventrals, red ; body, broad. It is widely diffused. 

i. The Gold-fish ((7. auratus) is indigenous to 
China and Japan, where it is found of most beautiful 
colors. It is kept with us in garden-ponds and glasses. 

k. The Salmon (Salmo salar) has a slightly pro- 
truding upper jaw. Its mouth is armed with teeth ; 
back, black ; sides, bluish ; abdomen, silvery. Almost 
all Salmons are spotted. The male has, on the lower 
jaw, a cartilaginous hook, bent upwards. Salmons 
inhabit the northern seas, whence they visit the rivers of 
both continents in large numbers to spawn ; they go in 
regular order, the females in advance. They winter in 
the seas, and return to the same rivers every year. 
They live on small fish and worms, and weigh from 



FISHES. 123 

twenty-five to fifty pounds, and more. Their flesh is 
excellent, and is prepared in many ways. 

L The Common, or Kiver, Trout (S.fario) is from 
six to twenty inches long, and of different colors ; the 
colder the water, the darker the color. Its sides are 
yellow ; it is spotted with red. The Trout swims with 
great rapidity ; it feeds on small fishes and insects, and 
spawns in the fall. Its flesh is considered finer than 
that of any other fish. 

Plate 19. 

a. The Salmon Trout ($. trutta) is dark-gray, with 
spots on the back and sides. It weighs from eight to 
ten pounds. 

b. The Huchen (5. hucho); back, sides, and fins 
(except the pectorals), with brown spots. Its head is 
more pointed than in the Salmon Trout. It attains the 
length of from three to five feet; is peculiar to the 
Danube, and its southern tributaries, and has very 
savory flesh. 

c. The Lake Trout ($. lacustris) ; back, dark; 
sides, light-blue ; lower parts, silvery, with small, half- 
moon-like spots. Its flesh is yellowish, and much 
esteemed ; it attains a weight of fifty pounds. 

d. The Char (S.salvelinus) ; its back is brown, with 
orange- colored spots, bordered with white on the sides ; 
pectorals and ventrals, red. Its flesh is valued. 

e. The Grayling (S. (Thijmallus) vulgaris) ; dor- 
sals, violet ; below, spotted greenish-brown. Its back 
is striped with black. It is found in cold waters, and is 
very savory. 



124 FISHES. 

f. The Gwyniab ($. Wartmanni) is blue above; 
silvery below; body, long, and without spots. It 
inhabits the lakes of Southern Germany, where it is 
found in great numbers, and is to the inhabitants what 
the Herring is to those of more northern climes. They 
are caught only when three years old, and are eaten 
fresh or pickled. They are an important article of 
export. Their flesh is excellent, and easy of diges- 
tion. 

g. The Smelt ($. (Osmerus) eperlanus) is greenish 
above, and silvery beneath. It is a small fish, living in 
the sea, and at the mouth of rivers; flesh, excellent. 

h. The Pike (Esox lucius) has an oblong snout, 
broad and depressed. Its color varies ; back, blackish- 
green ; sides, gray, spotted with yellow, and the abdo- 
men white, dotted with black ; the yearlings are all 
green. They grow rapidly ; are from eighteen to 
twenty inches long in their first year ; and, when fully 
grown, they measure from six to eight feet, and weigh 
about forty pounds. The whole mouth is armed with 
teeth. The Pike is very voracious. It not only eats 
fish, but also birds, frogs, &c. It is found in the fresh 
waters of both continents. 

i. The Garpike (E. belone) has the head and body 
greatly elongated ; jaws studded with numerous small 
teeth ; bones, green. It is found in all seas, and caught 
by thousands in the Mediterranean. 

Plate 20. 

Cirripeds (a subdivision of the Crustacea, the chief 
division of which is represented on Plate 27) are placed 



MOLLUSKS. 125 

here on account of their resemblance to the Shells. 

"r 

This singular order of animals comes between the Artic- 
ulates and the IVJfollusca. They have no head, but a 
horny upper lip, on each side of which are articulated 
feelers, two pairs of toothed jaws, and a membranous 
lower lip, and along the articulated body ten to twelve 
pairs of tufty arms. Their lime shell is generally com- 
posed of several pieces united together. They are 
attached to rocks or other objects by the base of their 
shells, or by a membranous peduncle. To this class 
belong the following : — 

a. The Balanus, or Acorn-shell Barnacle (Balamis 
tintinnabulam) has six tulip-like standing shell-leaves 
fixed upon a lower shell, striated crosswise. The 
animal comes out from the opening above, and below it 
is attached to vessels and rocks. The most beautiful of 
these are found in the East Indies. 

b. 1 and 2. Another Barnacle ( Coronida balcenaris) 
is similar to the preceding, only the inner compartments 
are like those of a poppy-head. It attaches itself to 
the skin of whales. 

c. The Sea Tulip (Lepas anatiferd) has a tough 
stalk or peduncle by which it fixes itself, and often in 
great numbers, to the bottom of the sea, and to ships. 
It has two large, broad valves, and one smaller and 
narrower. 

Mollusca, or Molltjsks. — These are animalswhich 
have a soft body enveloped in a muscular skin, and 
mostly protected by a shell. They have a distinct 
nervous system, a heart with arteries and veins, and 
perfect organs for the digestion of food, respiration, and 
reproduction. The body of most of the Mollusks is 

11* 



126 MOLLUSKS. 

a shapeless, soft mass ; half of them are deprived of a 
head, and organs of sense. A few of them have organs 
of locomotion./ Their movements are slow. The body 
is covered with a contractile and slimy membrane, 
which envelops the animal like a mantle. A calcareous 
shell, with one or two valves, forms the exterior envelope 
of the animal. The circulation of the blood is com- 
plete. The heart is simple or double, or there are three 
ventricles. The blood is white and cold. The Mol- 
lusks breathe either water through branchiae, or air by 
means of lungs or air sacs. The sexes are separate, or 
united in the same animal. 

Mollusks are spread over the whole earth, and live 
generally in the sea ; some, however, live in rivers and 
ponds, and others upon land. 

Acephala have no head, breathe through branchiae, 
and are enclosed in a bivalve shell ; have a mouth open- 
ing on one end, and another opening on the other end. 
They have a large liver ; and, toward the back, a heart 
with two ventricles. The posterior opening serves for 
respiration; and, in some species, gives issue to two 
tubes, through which water goes in and out. The 
fleshy fore part of the animal is prolonged, in many of 
these animals, into a kind of bent foot, by means of 
which they move forward, and attach themselves. 

d. The Giant Mussel, or Clam (Tridacna gigas), 
has furrows and tile-like scales. These shells sometimes 
grow to the weight of six hundred pounds, and are used 
in several of the churches of Paris as benitiers. 

e. The Scallop (Pecten gigas, or maximus). 

f. The Terebratula {Terebratula) . Its shells are 
unequal ; the larger one has a protruding hook, pierced 



MOLLUSKS. 127 

by a hole, through which passes a muscle with which 
the shell attaches itself to other shells. 

g. The Oyster (Ostrea edulis) ; shells, irregular and 
toothless. They are attached to rocks in the sea ; valued 
as an article of food. 

h. The Thorny Oyster (Spondylus radida); shells, 
spiny or rough, with two strong teeth. 

i. The Pearl Mussel (Mytilus (Avicula) margariti- 
fera) ; shells, semi-circular, toothless. The splendid 
mother-of-pearl is on the inner side of the shell. It 
measures about eight inches in diameter. These shells 
are found in the Indian and Persian seas, and furnish 
the real oriental pearls. Some divers let themselves 
down into the water, at the risk of their lives, to obtain 
these valuable shells. 

Plate 21. 

a. The Ark Mussel (Area JSToce) ; shells, elongated, 
nearly four-edged ; the hinge forms a straight line armed 
with small teeth. This shell resembles a vessel. 

b. The Pinna (Pinna) is conical ; it stands with its 
pointed part in the sand. From the upper part of this 
mussel protrudes a silk-like tuft, of which the Italians 
make stockings and gloves. 

c. The Common Sea Mussel (Mytilus edulis) ; the 
fore part, pointed ; the hind part, broader. It is found 
in all seas. 

d. The River Mussel (Anodonta cygncea) is found in 
ponds. 

e. The Painter's Mussel (Mya pictorum) has a strong 
too?h on the hinge of the shell. It is used for the pres- 
ervation of colors. 



128 MOLLUSKS. 

f. The Cockle-shell (Cardinm) has four strong 
teeth in each shell. There are many beautiful varieties 
in all seas. 

g. The Horny-heart Mussel (Cyclas cornea) is found 
in the slime of ditches. 

k. The Sauce Mussel (Tellina) ; shells, flat, red 
and white ; or yellow and white. 

i. The Venus Mussel (Venus) ; shells, round or oval ; 
hinge, toothed. 

k. The Razor-shell (Solen) resembles a razor- 
sheath ; is gaping at both ends. 

Z. The Piddock (P kolas). Beside its principal shells, 
which are gaping, it has other smaller shells ; it digs 
into mud and rocks, and is eaten. 

m. The Boring, or Ship, Worm ( Teredo navalis) ; 
shell, exceedingly hard, and armed with rasp-like imbri- 
cations. They burrow into almost any substance, and 
have caused much damage to ships and piers. They 
are from six to twelve inches long, and thick as the 
finger. They originated in the Indies, and have been 
carried by ships into other countries. Vessels are cop- 
pered to protect them against this animal. 

Plate 22. 

Gasteropods, or Univalves. — These have a distinct 
head, provided with feelers; and small eyes. On the 
belly is a muscular expansion which enables them to 
crawl ; they are partly naked, or enveloped in a calca- 
reous shell. Those which live in the sea, breathe by 
means of branchiae ; those on land, by means of lungs, 
or air sacs. The sexes are separate or united. 



MOLLUSKS. 129 

a. The Skittle, or Cone, Shell (Conus) ; shell, 
conical ; opening, elongated, narrow, and without teeth. 
Some of them are beautifully colored, and amateurs pay 
a great price for them. 

b. The Tiger Shell (Cyprcea) ; shell, smooth ; open- 
ing, small and narrow. 

c. The Cowrie (C. moneta) is not only used to orna- 
ment the harness of asses and horses, but as money in 
Africa and the East Indies ; a very inconvenient kind of 
money, as it requires about a thousand to make a dollar. 

d. The Mitre Shell (Mitra). The shell runs to a 
point ; it has orange-colored spots on a white ground. 
The flesh of this animal is poisonous ; it is capable of 
making a severe wound with its tongue. It inhabits the 
East-Indian seas. 

e. The Roller Shell (Volnta JEthiopica) is very 
large and edible; color of the shell, a reddish-brown. 
It is used as a vase in the East Indies. 

f. The Wing Shell (Strombus auris Diana) . 

g. The Armed Wing Shell (S. pugilis). This 
animal is called "the fighter," because of the continual 
motion which it makes with the point of its foot, strik- 
ing here and there. 

A. The Purple Shell {Mar ex) ; shell, rough and 
spiny ; generally brown or grayish-white. The ancients 
prepared their purple color from a liquor furnished by 
this animal. 

i. The Trumpet Shell (Tritonium tuba) ; shell, 
smooth, spotted with brown, and toothed at the open- 
ing. If one breaks the point and blows into it, it pro- 
duces a trumpet-like sound. The shell is a foot long ; 
its flesh is good to eat. 



130 MOLLUSKS. 

h. The Helmet Shell (Cassis) is similar to the Tiger 
Shell. 

Z. The Harp Shell (Harpa) is found in the seas of 
the East and West Indies ; shell, broad and ventricose ; 
opening, very wide above ; spirals ornamented with pro- 
jecting ridges. 

m. The Tun Shell (Dolium) is thin and ventricose, 
with roundish hoops. 

n. The Hoop Shell (Trochus) ; the spirals very- 
large below, and pointed above. 

o. The Top Shell (Turbo); shell with a round 
opening. 

p. The Cockle-stairs (Scalaria communis) has a 
white shell, with many spirals ; the opening is round. 
This species is frequently found in the Mediterranean. 

q. The East-India Cockle-shell (S. pretiosa) . The 
spirals of this shell are much farther apart, and this 
Cockle is much rarer than the preceding. 

r. The Common Water Snail (Nerita) ; shell, hemi- 
spherical ; opening, large, and shaped like a crescent. 
It is found in seas and rivers. 

5. The Chrysalis Shell (Pupa uva) has a long, 
broad, striped shell, with a round mouth. 

Land- Snail Family — Helicidcz. — These are distrib- 
uted over the whole world ; there are some four thousand 
living species, and several hundred fossil. 

t. The Roman Snail (Helix pomatia) has a yellow- 
ish-gray or grayish- white shell. They shut themselves 
within their shells in winter. Europeans eat this spe- 
cies of snail. 



MOLLUSKS. 131 



Plate 23. 



a. The Common Tree Snail (Helix nemoralis) is 
well known ; shell, yellow or red, with brown bands. 

b. The Glutton Snail (Bulimus decollalus) is oblong; 
the point looks as if broken off. 

c. The Pond Snail (Limncea stagnalis) ; shell, thin, 
spiral, pointed; mouth, large. This Snail is found 
everywhere in stagnant waters. 

d. The Disk Snail (Planorbis vortex) ; wound round, 
like a cornet. 

e. The Ear Shell (Haliotis Iris); shell shaped like 
an ear, pierced with many holes. It is remarkable for 
the beauty of its pearl, which glitters with all the col- 
ors of the rainbow. 

f. The Eock Limpet (Patella) ; shell in the form of 
a ladle ; common to all seas ; found creeping on or 
adhering to rocks. 

g. The Male Limpet (Chiton); shell, oval, hollow, 
similar to the articulated body of a beetle. 

naked snails, without shells. 

h. The Slug (Limax) is noted for an abundant secre- 
tion of mucus ; the mouth has a horny upper jaw, with 
which this animal gnaws plants and fruits, and makes 
great havoc in our gardens. 

i. The Sea Hare (Aplysia). Its head is adorned 
with four tentacles, the two longest of which are in 
the form of ears. 

The Pteropoda, or Pteropods ; mollusks, which 



132 MOLLUSKS. 

inhabit the open sea, where they move in immense 
numbers together. 

Jc. The Whale-food (Clio borealis) is furnished 
with two fin-like appendages. They inhabit the Arctic 
seas ; move in swarms, and form the principal food of 
Right Whales. 

Cephalopods, or Cuttle-fish. — They have a dis- 
tinct head, with two large eyes ; the mouth, in the 
middle of the head ; long tentacles, which serve for 
feet and arms, armed with suckers, and with which they 
walk or seize hold of their prey. Many of these 
animals have a sac, which secretes a very dark liquid, 
called ink, which they use to color the water when they 
wish to conceal themselves. This liquid is known by 
painters under the name of sepia, or Indian ink. These 
animals are voracious and powerful. 

I. a. and b. The Nautilus (Nautilus) lives in a beau- 
tiful shell, containing many chambers. This animal 
has twenty pairs of arms, and is found in the Indian 
seas. 

m. The Argonaut, or Paper-sailor (Argonauta) . 
The female sits entirely free, in a thin shell, holding 
herself firm by her arms. The male is much smaller, 
and has neither shell, nor fin-like extended arms. The 
shell of the Argonaut is formed and repaired by a se- 
cretion contained in the glands of the arms. 

n. The Cuttle-fish (Sepia) has ten arms, two of 
which stre very long. The body is contained in a bor- 
dered sac, which encloses the cuttle-bone. They are 
from six inches to three feet in length. 



INSECTS. 



Plate 24. 



Insects. — The body is generally enveloped in a 
hard skin; sometimes by a soft one. It is composed of 
three distinct parts, — the head, chest or thorax, and 
hind body or abdomen. The head has either single 
or compound eyes, and antennae, or feelers, which are, 
doubtless, connected with the sense of hearing. The 
mouth has an upper and lower lip ; two upper and two 
lower jaws, and a tongue. The thorax is composed of 
three pieces, to which the legs and wings are attached ; 
the abdomen is articulated. The organs of respiration 
lie on each side of the body. The heart consists of a 
long tube, under the covering of the back, and has small 
holes for the admission of the yellow or colorless blood, 
and valves within to prevent its escaping. 

The nervous system is composed of an articulated 
cord, under the digestive tube, from which the nerves 
go to the various parts of the body. The sexes are 
separate ; the females are either viviparous or ovipa- 
rous. Some lay few, others many, eggs ; for example, 
the wasp lays twenty thousand ; the queen bee, from 
forty to fifty thousand eggs. 

The metamorphoses, or transformations, of insects 

12 



134 INSECTS. 

are wonderful ; the same insect, at different ages, may 
easily be mistaken for as many different animals. Only 
a small number of insects emerge from the egg in a per- 
fect form. Others appear in their first state like a worm ; 
they are then called larvae. Larvse of butterflies are called 
caterpillars, and are provided with feet. The larva 
period is that of infancy, and much the longest. When 
fully grown, the larva encloses itself in some peculiar 
cell, as in a shroud ; and it is then called a pupa, or 
chrysalis. After a time, the insect comes out of its cell 
in a perfect state, to enjoy a new life, and is then called 
the imago. The ancients regarded this metamorphosis 
as the symbol of immortality. The industry of insects 
is very remarkable. They are divided into — 

I. Coleopteka, or Sheath-winged Insects. — The 
Sheath-winged Insects are armed with jaws. They have 
six legs and four wings, the two upper of which are horny 
covers ; and the two under ones are membranous, and 
lie folded under the others, when the insect is in a state 
of repose. They undergo a perfect metamorphosis. 
The larva feeds on animal and vegetable substances, 
like the perfect Beetle. The pupa is immovable and 
shows all the parts of a perfect insect. 

a. The Rhinoceros Beetle ( Oryctes nasicornis) is of a 
chestnut-brown color, with a horn on the helmet of the 
head, bent backward. This Beetle is found about the 
North-Sea coast and vicinity. 

b. The Dung Beetle (Scarabceus stercorarius) is blue- 
black ; found chiefly on horse-dung. 

c. The Horn Dung Beetle (Cobris lunaris) is found 
mostly on cow-dung ; is a very handsome Beetle, and 
has a tolerably large horn on its crescent-shaped helmet ; 



INSECTS. 135 

it is nearly as large as the Dung Beetle, and of a glossy- 
black color. 

d. The Pill-chafer (Ateuchus sacer) has a six- 
pointed helmet. 

e. The Lesser Dung Beetle (Aphodius) is egg- 
shaped, about the size of an apple-seed; it is black, 
with red wing- covers. 

/. The Cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris). The larva 
of this Beetle lives four years in the ground, gnawing 
the roots of trees and plants, then becomes a pupa, and 
in its fifth year comes out a perfect Cockchafer. 

g. The Great Cockchafer (Af. fullo) has beautiful 
wings, mottled brown and white. It eats the tops of 
poplars and oaks ; it is seldom caught on account of its 
rapid flight. 

h. The Rose-chafer (Cetonia aurea) is of a bril- 
liant greenish gold-color; lives as a grub in ant-heaps, 
and is particularly injurious to roses. 

i. The Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) ; a most beau- 
tiful dark-brown, or blackish, Chafer. The male has 
stag-like horns (large protruding upper jaws) with which 
it can pinch hard. 

/. The Bark Beetle (Bostrichus typographies), with 
pointed wing-covers and wedge-like feelers, is less than 
a grain of wheat, but does a great deal of harm to 
trees in its larva state. 

Jc. The Grave-digger (Necrophorus vespillo) is a re- 
markable Chafer. It buries dead animals, as for example, 
mice, or moles ; and the female lays her eggs in the 
flesh of the buried animal. These eggs produce beau- 
tifully variegated grubs, which become Chafers in six 
weeks. 



136 INSECTS. 

L The Goldsmith, or Gardener, Beetle (Carabus 
auratus) has beautiful gold-green wing-covers. It is use- 
ful in destroying great quantities of worms and insects. 

All the Beetles above described have either leafy or 
button-like feelers. 

m. The Sycophant (Calosama inquisitor) is of a cop- 
per-brown color; wing-covers, spotted and lined. It 
kills injurious insects, particularly caterpillars, and is 
not very numerous. 

n. The Sand Sparkler (Cicindela) is almost every- 
where in sandy places. It runs quickly and flies rapidly. 

o. The Flour Beetle (Tenebrio molitor) is long and of 
a dark color ; in the larva state it is called the meal-worm. 

p. The Water Beetle (Hydrophilus) is dark-brown; 
antennae, wedge-like. 

q. The Leaping Beetle (Elater). If placed upon its 
back, it springs into the air in order to come down on 
its feet. 

r. The Green Weevil {Garculio chlorophanus) has a 
long trunk. 

s. The Death-watch (Anobium) . This insect and 
another kind gnaw into books and wood-work when in a 
larva state. The Death-watch produces a sound re- 
sembling the ticking of a watch. 

t. The Firefly (Lampyris splendidula). The end of 
the abdomen is soft, smooth, and shining in the night. 
Not only the male, but the female gives a light. The 
latter and the larva have no wings. 

u. The Spanish Fly (Lytta vesicatoria) is green, and of 
metallic brilliancy ; body, elongated. It contains an 
irritating matter, which is used for blisters. 

a. The May-worm {Meloe proscarabceus) is dark-blue, 



INSECTS. 137 

of metallic brilliancy ; wing-covers, short and soft ; an- 
tennae, round and articulated. 

w. The Carpenter Beetle (Lamia cedilis) is gray; 
the antennae, three times as long as the body. 

x. The Great Goat Beetle (Prio?ius coriaceus) ; dark 
chestnut-brown; three points on its horny collar ; an- 
tennae serrated like a saw ; found in leafy woods. 

y. The Lily Chafer (Lema) is scarlet-red ; head, 
black ; found between the leaves of lilies, lily of the 
valley, and iris ; it makes a piping noise when taken in 
the hand. 

z. The Lady Bird (Ooccinella septempunctata) ; round- 
ish, with seven black points upon the red wing-covers ; 
its larva destroys a great many injurious Plant Lice, or 
Aphides. 

II. Orthoptera, or Straight-winged Insects. — 
They have six legs, are armed with jaws, and have soft, 
membranous, and veined wing-covers ; lower wings, 
straight and crosswise. Their transformation is imper- 
fect, as the wings are wanting in the young, and grow 
by degrees. 

a. The Earwig (Forjicula) ; feet with three tarsi ; a 
pair of nippers at the tail ; it lives, generally, in the 
bark of trees and old wood-work. The female covers 
and protects the eggs and tender young ones. 

6. The Cockroach (Blatta) ; brown ; wing-covers, 
long ; head concealed beneath the shield of the thorax. 
These insects are well known as being very voracious ; 
they eat, not only meal, bread, and other articles of 
food, but leather and cloth. 

c. The Mantis (Mantis religiosa) is similar to the 

House Cricket, but carries its head, with its large eyes, 

12* 



138 INSECTS. 

upright. These carnivorous insects eat each other and 
other insects. 

d. The Green Locust (Locusta viridissima) is green, 
with very long antennae ; the female has a long, sword- 
like appendage. This Locust makes immense springs, 
with its long legs. 

e. The Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa vulgaris^). Its 
fore feet are large and like hands ; hind feet, short. It 
digs subterranean passages w r ith its fore feet, like the 
Moles, and does much injury to fields, where they are 
found in great numbers, by cutting off the roots of 
plants. 

/. The House Cricket (Gryllus domesticus) ; pale- 
yellow ; head, round, and provided with long antennae. 
It inhabits human habitations, and seeks places where 
it is warm ; its sharp and monotonous tones are heard 
at night, when it goes in quest of food. 

g. The Field Cricket (Cr. campestris) is dark- 
brown ; in warm weather, it chirps the whole day in 
front of the hole it has dug in the earth. 

h. The Migratory Locust (Acridium migratorium) ; 
wing-covers, gray or brown, speckled with black ; un- 
der wings, green and unspotted. This Locust inhabits 
Asia and Africa, and is rarely found in Europe. They 
are a scourge, appearing from time to time in such 
swarms as to darken the air, eating up whole fields of 
grain where they settle. 

i. The Eattle Cricket (A. stridulum) ; back and 
wings, red, bordered with black. They appear at the 
end of summer, in the outskirts of forests. 

III. Neuroptera, or Nerve- Winged Insects. — 
They have six legs, are armed with jaws, and have four 



INSECTS. 139 

naked, membranous wings ; some of them undergo a 
perfect, others an imperfect, transformation. Most of 
them live, at first, in the water ; when winged, they 
li^e on the land. 

ji The Water-lady (Libellula) ; the abdomen elon- 
gated, and ending in small pincers ; its beautifully col- 
ored wings are large, brilliant, and glossy. It feeds on 
insects caught in flight, and flies rapidly. Called, also, 
Darning Needles, Mosquito Hawks, and Dragon Flies. 

Jc. The May Fly (Ephemera) ; antennae, with three 
articulations ; abdomen terminating in two or three 
bristle-like appendages. The larva lives for years in 
mud or water, and comes out by millions as winged 
insects, which live only a few hours. 

I. The Dragon-fly, or Caddis-fly (JPhryganea). 
Many species of this Fly are found, in their imperfect 
state, in lakes and ponds. It bears much resemblance 
to a Butterfly ; its transformation is complete. 

m. The Pearl Fly (Hemerobius perla) ; green and 
beautiful to the eye, but of disagreeable odor. Its 
larva feeds on the Aphis, or Plant Louse. 

n. The Ant Lion (Myrmecoleori) is similar to the 
Water-lady, but not so quick in its motions ; it under- 
goes a perfect metamorphosis. The larva, known as 
the Ant Lion, is a cunning capturer of ants. It 
digs a conical pit in fine sand, and when an ant comes 
to the edge of it, the sand gives way and the ant falls 
in ; if it tries to crawl out, the Ant Lion sprinkles sand 
upon it until it falls to the bottom, where the larva 
seizes it with its strong pincers and sucks its juices. 

o. The Scorpion Fly (Panorpd). The male has an 
appendage on its tail, similar to the pincers of a scorpion. 



140 INSECTS. 

p. (Raphidia) ; thorax elongated, forming a sort of 
neck. 

q. The Termite (Termes), or White Ant. Its large 
wings are traversed by few veins. White Ants are 
found only in hot countries, where they are a scourge, 
because their larvae make frightful havoc in wood-work, 
boring into beams, chests, &c. They live like ants, in 
large communities, of which there are four kinds : — 

1. Winged males and their pupae, with wing appen- 
dages. 

2. Larger females, without wings. 

3. Smaller larvae, unprovided with wing appendages. 

4. Sexless, unwinged ones, small and large, resem- 
bling larvae, with large head. They do no work, but 
only defend the habitations ; for which reason they are 
called soldiers. 

The remarkable nests of these ants are built entirely 
of earth, about twelve feet high, and many together, 
which gives them the appearance of the villages of 
savages. Each building has an arched cupola on the 
top, which remains empty ; only the lower part is in- 
habited ; it contains the royal apartment, the habitations 
of the young ones, the private magazines or storehouses, 
and numberless passages. The arrangement of these 
buildings would do credit to the human understanding ; 
and these works, gigantic in proportion to the size of 
the builders, are executed by insects of scarcely a quar- 
ter of an inch in length, and that in the space of from 
two to three years. The queen, of which there is only 
one in a community, has no other business than that of 
laying eggs, during which time the abdomen attains the 
length of three inches (see picture j.) ; she lays eggs 



INSECTS. 141 

continually, sometimes sixty in a minute, and more than 
eighty thousand within twenty-four hours. The Ter- 
mites are eaten by several savage nations. 

Plate 25. 

IV. Bee, and Wasp-like Insects (Hymenoptera). — 
They have four membranous wings, more or less trans- 
parent ; the hinder pair, the smaller. They have two 
upper jaws, horny, and fitted for biting or cutting ; and 
two under jaws, longer and softer. The females have 
a piercer, or sting, in the hind extremity of the body. 

a. The Gall Insect (Cynips). The female bores a 
hole in a plant, and deposits one or more eggs therein ; 
the sap of the plant flows from the wound and forms an 
excrescence known by the name of gall-apple. The nut- 
gall, used in the preparation of ink, is formed in this 
manner upon the leaves of a species of oak, which 
grows in Asia Minor and in the East Indies. The Gall 
Insect bores rose-bushes as well as oaks. 

Another species of Gall Insect lays its eggs in the 
fruit of the fig-tree, which renders the fruit not only 
much larger and sweeter, but causes it to ripen earlier. 

b. The Golden Wasp (Chrysis) is of a brilliant, me- 
tallic color ; it lays its eggs in the nests of mason and 
other bees, for which purpose it watches the favorable 
moment, when the mother has left the cell, that she 
may thrust her egg into it. 

c. The Ichneumon Fly (Ichneumon). Its body is 
long and narrow ; antennae and legs, long. The female 
lays Ijer eggs in the caterpillar, or pupa, of other insects. 
Though hidden in the most secret places, the Ichneu- 



142 INSECTS. 

mon finds them, and deposits one or more eggs in their 
body. These latter develop quickly, and nourish 
themselves from the fat body of the larva, gradually 
consuming its life ; thus the Ichneumon destroys a 
great number of injurious caterpillars. 

d. The Saw Fly (Tenthredo) ; body elongated, nearly 
cylindrical. Its larva has eighteen to twenty-two legs. 
The female bores holes into the twigs and other parts of 
plants, and lays in each an egg; in this way, they do 
much injury, as the larvae eat away the tender sprouts 
of the plants. 

e. The Earth Bee (Sphex figuhis) makes a hole in 
the earth in which to lay its egg ; is careful to put the 
body of an insect into the hole to nourish the pupa 
when developed, and then walls it up with clay. 

f. The Mason Bee (Eumenes murarici). They make 
their habitations, which consist of four to twelve cells, 
running into each other, of sand and clay, and in each 
cell they lay an egg. 

g*. The Wasp (Vespa). The Wasp, with its smooth, 
black and yellow body, is well known. Wasps live 
socially together; and their states, or colonies, are divided 
into males, females, and workers. The food of these 
Wasps is varied ; they eat honey, fruit, sugar, wine, and 
meats ; they kill bees and flies. Their .nest is skilfully 
built ; it is an oval, twelve to eighteen inches long, and 
ten to thirteen broad. It is too generally known to 
require farther description. The material of the build- 
ing consists of a woody fibre, — which they gnaw from 
logs, &c, with their strong jaws, — moistened with a 
viscid secretion, and kneaded into a paste, resembling 
paper. 



INSECTS. 143 

h. The Honey Bee (Apis mellificd). Bees are re- 
markable insects, which have attracted the attention of 
thinking people, on account of their artistic skill in 
building, their peculiar state constitution, and curious 
habits. In a natural state, they live in hollow trees ; 
but when domesticated, they are put into hives. A com- 
munity consists of males, or drones ; females, or queens ; 
and imperfect females, or workers. These differ in ap- 
pearance, but still more in their manner of living. The 
community has but one queen, from eight hundred to a 
thousand males, and twenty to thirty thousand workers. 

i. The Ant (Formica) is generally known. These 
insects, also, live in communities, consisting of males, 
females, and workers ; the first are winged, and live 
only a few weeks ; the latter are the chief popula- 
tion of the nest, and do all the labor. Although they do 
not build as artistically as bees, yet their activity and 
foresight are given as examples of diligence and industry. 

V. Hemiptera. — The Hemiptera generally have 
wing-covers ; a slender, horny beak, consisting of a 
horny sheath, in which are three stiff and sharp bris- 
tles, with which they suck the juices of plants and the 
blood of animals. They do not undergo a complete trans- 
formation. There are species in which the females, 
others in which both sexes, are wingless. 

j. The Bedbug (Acanthia (Gimex) lectularia) is too 
well known to need description. It is not confined to 
houses, but is found in the pine forests of both hemi- 
spheres. 

Jc. The Berry Bug (Pentatoma baccarmn) is found 
on garden fruits and berries, and is known by its bad 
odor. 



144 INSECTS. 

1. The Lantern Bearer {Fulgora laternarid) . The 
Great American Lantern Bearer is an ornament to every 
collection of insects, 

m. The Plant Louse (Aphis) . The males are winged, 
the females wingless ; they are small insects which live 
socially on plants. During the summer, they bring forth 
whole generations of female young ; but the males come 
forth in the fall. They are injurious to the plants on 
which they live. 

n. The Cochineal (Coccus cacti). The male has 
from two to four wings, but no beak ; the females have 
no wings, but are provided with beaks. When they 
have laid their eggs, the body dries up, and serves as a 
covering to the eggs. From several kinds, a beautiful 
red color is produced ; the most valuable is the real 
Cochineal of Mexico, which is cared for like the Silk- 
worm, as it furnishes the most valuable carmine and 
scarlet colors. 

VI. Butterflies (Lepidoptera). — Butterflies have 
six legs ; a tongue, consisting of two tubular threads 
joined together so as to form a channel well adapted for 
suction; their wings, four in number, are covered on 
both sides with colored scales. They undergo a com- 
plete transformation. 

A. Daily (Diurna). — The caterpillar is generally 
spiny or hairy, the chrysalis naked ; and the Butterfly 
flies only in daytime. In tropical countries, there 
are beautifully colored butterflies, some of which are 
as large as a man's hand. 

a. The Apollo Butterfly (Parnassius Apollo); wings, 
yellowish- white ; the hind ones have red eye-spots. The 
larva is a velvety black, ornamented with red spots, and 
is found in mountainous countries. 



INSECTS. 145 

b. The Swallow-tail (JEronatUa maehaori) ; beau- 
tiful yellow, with black trimmings, and blue and yellow 
crescent spots, bordered with black. In the caterpillar 
state, it feeds on fennel, carrots, &c. ; it is green, with 
black cross-bands, and hairless. 

c. The Camberwell Beauty, or White - bordered 
Mantle {Vanessa antiopa) ; black, surrounded with 
blue spots, and bordered with yellow. To this species 
belongs also — 

d. The Admiral ( V. atlantd) ; black wings, with a 
red band across the middle of the forward ones, and 
white spots near their tips ; hind wings bordered with 
red. In the caterpillar state, it feeds upon nettles. 

e. The Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis pa- 
phia). The hind wings are generally marked beneath 
with silvery or pearly spots. As a caterpillar, it feeds 
on violets. 

f. The Purple Emperor Butterfly (Apatura iris). 
The color above changes to blue ; it has white bands. ■ 
In the caterpillar state, it feeds on the willow. 

g. The Common Azure Butterfly (Lyccena chry- 
seis). Small as this Butterfly is, it rivals the larger 
kinds by the splendor of its wings, blue bordered with 
white. 

Plate 26. 

a. The Hawthorn Butterfly (Pieris cratcegi) has 
yellowish-white wings, with black veins ; it is the cater- 
pillar of this butterfly which eats away the leaves of 
fruit-trees. 

b. The Common Cabbage Butterfly (P. brassicce) ; 
upper wings, white, veined and bordered with black; 

13 



146 INSECTS. 

hind wings, yellow. In the caterpillar state, it feeds on 
cabbages. 

B. Evening Moths (Crepuscularia). — These Moths 
have the antennae thickened in the middle, and more or less 
tapering at the ends ; when at rest, the wings lie hori- 
zontally. They fly in the morning and evening twilight. 
The caterpillars are large, and have sixteen legs. The 
chrysalis is spherical, and generally enclosed in a cocoon 
made of a silky material. 

c. The Humming-bird Hawk Moth (Sphynx (Macro- 
glossa) stella) ; antennae running out to a point. This 
Moth flies rapidly, and makes a humming sound. 

d. The Spotted Elephant Hawk Moth, or Spurge 
Sphinx (Sphynx eupkorbice) ; wings, yellowish-brown, 
with beautiful green bands. The dark-green caterpillar 
lives on the cypress. 

e. The Death's Head Hawk Moth (Achcrontia atro- 
pos) ; so called from the picture of a skull upon its back. 

> It is a large Moth ; seeks honey in beehives. The large 
yellow and blue striped caterpillar lives on potato-tops, 
lilacs, and flax. 

f. The Eyed Hawk Moth (Smerinthus ocellatus) is 
fawn-colored, clouded with brown on the front wings ; 
hind wings, rose-colored, with a dark-blue eye sur- 
rounded by black, and having a black point in the 
middle. The bluish-green white striped caterpillar 
feeds on poplar and apple trees ; this genus has a stout 
thorn on the tail. 

g. The Bee Hawk Moth (Sesia) ; antennae com- 
pressed toward the end ; the greater part of the surface 
of the front wing, transparent and glossy ; hind wing, 
hairy. The caterpillar has no thorn. This Moth resem- 



INSECTS. 147 

bles a wasp, flies quickly, and makes a humming noise. 
The caterpillar lives in the interior of plants, and under- 
goes its transformation in its habitation. 

h. The Spotted Burnet Moth (Zygcena filipendulce) . 
The male has dark-blue, the female green, wings, with 
red spots. The caterpillar feeds on clover and soft 
grasses. 

i. The Hop Moth (Hepiolus humuli) in a caterpillar 
state gnaws the roots of hop-plants, and destroys them. 
The female of this Moth is yellowish, with orange 
stripes ; the male is silver-colored. 

C. Night Moths (Nocturna). — These Moths have 
the antennae long and tapering ; wings, when at rest, lying 
horizontally, or rolled on the body. The caterpillars 
prepare a cocoon for their chrysalis state. These Moths 
fly in summer evenings after sundown. To this division 
belongs the genus Bombyx, with comb-like, or feath- 
ered antennae. The larvae have tubercles tipped with 
bristles, and have sixteen feet. They are distinguished 
from other caterpillars by their locomotions ; the middle 
feet being wanting, it steps first with its fore feet, bends 
its body, and draws the hind feet forward, then stretches 
out the body, making rapid strides. 

j. The Nocturnal Peacocks Eye, or Emperor Moth 
(Bomhyx pavonia). This large Moth expands from five 
and a half to six inches ; on each of its fine grayish- 
brown wings is a large eye-like spot. In the caterpillar 
state, it is green, with blue warts. 

7c. The Silkworm Moth (Bojnbyx mori) has a large 
body, and dingy-white scalloped wings. Silk is made 
from the cocoon of the caterpillar. It feeds upon the 
leaves of the mulberry, and lives from six to seven 



148 INSECTS. 

weeks. Silk was brought into Europe from Asia in the 
year 1300. The cocoon contains about one thousand 
feet of silk. 

Z. The Black Arches (Liparis monacha) is whitish, 
with black zigzag lines. The caterpillar, with gray and 
blue warts, does much injury to pine forests. 

m. The Goat Moth (Oossus ligniperda) is found in 
the interior of oak, willow, and elm trees, which they 
hollow out with their strong jaws. It is of a beautiful 
red, with black head, and requires two years for it's 
transformation. It is very injurious. 

n. The Night Owl Moth (Noclua); antennae, simple; 
the upper wings differently colored from the lower 
ones. The caterpillar has sixteen feet. 

o. The Clifden Nonpareil (Catocalafraxini); a large 
and beautiful Moth, whose hinder wings have a blue 
cross-band on a black ground. The caterpillar lives on 
ash-trees. 

p. The Lilac Moth (Pkalcena syringaria) has pointed 
wings, banded in different colors. The caterpillar lives 
on trees, and is distinguished from other caterpillars by 
having no legs in the middle of the body, so that, when 
it puts down its front legs, the body is curved, and the 
hind legs drawn forward, as if it intended to measure 
the space over which it moves ; hence, called span- 
worms. 

q. The Oak Moth (Tortrix quercus) ; fore wings, 
green, with white cross-lines ; hind wings, white. 

Plumed Moths (Pterophorus) . — Wings divided by 
feathered segments. 

r. The Many-plumed Moth (P. pentadactijlus) ; 
wings, snow-white ; the upper divided into two, the 



INSECTS. 149 

under into three, feather-like parts ; the caterpillar lives 
on plum and prune trees. 

$. The Clothes Moth (Tinea sarcitella) does great in- 
jury to woollen clothes. 

t. The Fur Moth (T. pellionella). The caterpillar 
is hatched in about fifteen days ; it feeds on fur. 

u. The Corn Moth (T. granella) is known in the 
larva state as the white Corn-worm ; it is very injurious 
to grain. 

Plate 27. 

VII. Diptera, Two-winged Insects. — These in- 
sects have two wings, six feet, and a mouth furnished with 
a sucker, or proboscis ; the larva is a maggot ; the pupa 
generally lies immovable in the dried skin of the 
larva. 

a. The Horse-fly ((Estrus) is very large and thickly 
haired ; proboscis hidden. They are the torment of 
horses, cows, &c, because they deposit their eggs upon 
them; and the larvae, when hatched, suck their blood. 
The larvae are under the skin, in the nostrils, the stom- 
ach, and the intestines. 

b. The Hessian Fly ( Tabanus) ; proboscis elongated ; 
the head as large as the thorax ; the eyes so large 
that they nearly touch each other. They suck the blood 
of men and animals, particularly that of horses and 
cattle. 

c. The Stinging Fly ( Conops) resembles the domes- 
tic fly, but stings badly. 

d. The House Fly (Musca domestical). This importu- 
nate insect is everywhere, where man is ; its larvae are 
found in manure. 

13* 



150 INSECTS. 

e. The Carrion Fly (M. carnarid) deposits its eggs, 
known as fly-blows, upon meat. 

/. The Singing Gnat, or Mosquito (Culex pipiens). 
The females are the stingers; the males dance peaceably 
to their own music. 

g. The Common Gnat (Tipula) is much larger than 
the Mosquito. The larvae of this fly live in the ground, 
crawl in regular lines by thousands, and do much injury 
to the roots of plants. 

VIII. Aptera, Wingless Insects. — These in- 
sects have six legs, and no wings ; very few of them 
undergo metamorphoses. 

h. The Louse (Pediculus). These disgusting insects 
are found upon man and beast. 

i. The Flea (JPulex irritans). These little creatures, 
known over all the world, are always wide-awake; a 
great annoyance to animals and man. 

j. The Sand Flea (P. penetrans) is much more dan- 
gerous than the preceding ; it is common in South 
America and the East Indies. It bores under men's 
toe-nails, where it deposits its eggs. If not cut out in 
season, the maggots produce a dangerous swelling, and 
the amputation of the part becomes necessary. Called 
chigoe and jigger. 

Jc. The Centipede (Scolopendra) has many feet; the 
body is long, composed of many rings, each of which 
has a pair of feet. It feeds on insects. The stinging 
Centipede has twenty-one pairs of feet, and attains a 
length of five inches ; it is found in the West Indies. 
Its bite is very poisonous. 

IX. Arachnid a, or Spiders. — These are articulated, 
and without antennae or wings ; they have the head and 
thorax united into one piece. 



INSECTS. 151 

I. The Woodtick (Ixotes ricinus) ; body, leathery ; 
eyes, indistinct. Woodticks live on trees and grasses, 
from which they fall upon cattle and sheep, penetrating 
under their skin, so that they must be cut out to relieve 
the animal. 

m. The Mite (Acarus) has a soft body, and jaws 
like nippers ; most of them are so small as to be seen 
only through a microscope. Mites live upon various 
articles of food, the skin of animals, sores, &c. ; they 
are common everywhere. 

Aranea, or Common Spiders. — Of these there are 
many kinds which spin their artistic tissues, partly as 
dwellings and nets for 'catching food, and partly as a 
covering for their eggs. All live on smaller animals, 
or eat each other; even the females eat the males. 

n. The Tortoise Shell Spider (Aranea diadema). 

o. The Domestic, or House Spider (A. domestical). 

p. The Tarantula (Lycosa tarantula). The bite of 
this Spider is less dangerous than is reported. It is 
common in the torrid zone. 

q. The Scorpion (Scorpio). Thorax and abdomen 
transversely. Its long, segmented tail ends in a sting, 
from the point of which flows a poison. The sting of 
the larger kinds of Scorpions is very dangerous in hot 
climates. They live on insects, and are viviparous. 

r. The Book Scorpion (Clxelifer cancroides) is small, 
and is found in books. 

Crabs and Lobsters. — Head and thorax more or 
less covered with a hard carapace, or coat-of-mail ; the 
mouth provided with complete jaws. They undergo 
no metamorphosis, and are the most perfect animals 
of this class. There are a great many species, particu- 
larly in the sea. 



152 CRUSTACEANS. 

t. Common River Crab, or Crayfish (Astacus flu- 
viatilis). Its color is sometimes light, sometimes dark ; 
when cooked, it is red. The tail of a dead Crab stands 
out straight. Crabs live to a great age, sometimes 
twenty years, and become very large. This Crab is 
less eaten in the summer than at other seasons. 

u. The Lobster (A. (Homarus) marinus) is about one 
and a half feet long ; a valuable article of food. 

v. The Land Crab (Gecarcinus ruricola) is found in 
South America and the West Indies ; it lives the 
greater part of the year on land, where it hides itself 
in holes in the earth, during the day, and comes out 
toward evening to seek food ; it runs quickly. At the 
time of breeding, these Crabs go, in immense crowds, 
to the sea to lay their eggs. Many are caught, and 
they are highly esteemed as savory food. 

w. The Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardi) has a 
naked tail, which it thrusts into empty shells, to pre- 
serve it from harm. It is common. 

x. The Cellar Wood Louse ( Oniscus asellus). The 
tail has six segments. The Wood Louse lives in dark 
and damp places. Called also Sow Bug or Pill Bug. 

y. The Molucca King, or Horseshoe Crab (Limu- 
lus^) inhabits the Indian Ocean ; is from one to two feet 
long, and moves slowly. There are species in America. 

z. The Water Flea (Daphnia pulex) ; the body 
covered by a transparent shell ; the head separated ; 
feet, like branches. These animals are small ; red in 
spring and summer, and at other times a greenish- 
white. They are found in great numbers in stagnant 
waters, in which they swim quickly. To these belong, 
also, a. b. and d. of Plate 20. 



WORMS. 153 



Plate 28. 



"Worms (Vermes). — Worms have a long body, more 
or less cylindrical, and composed of rings or segments. 
They either have no feet, or the feet are not articulate. 

Among the intestinal Worms (Entozoa), those which 
live in the intestines of larger animals, are the follow- 
ing : — 

a. The Hydatid (Cysticercus). These worms live 
in the brain and liver of animals, causing fatal dis- 
eases. 

b. The Ascaris (Ascaris vermicularis et lumbricoldes) 
is frequently in the intestines of man, particularly of 
children. Some are small and thread-like, called pin- 
worms ; others are thick, like earth-worms. 

c. The Thread, or Guinea, Worm {Filaria medinensis) 
is about twelve feet long, and no larger than a thread. 
It is common in tropical climates, particularly in Asia 
and Africa, where it is found under the skin of man, 
usually that of the feet ; it must be wound out from the 
flesh with the greatest care, as mortification often takes 
place where the worm is broken. 

d. The Tape Worm (Tce?iia) is flat, like a ribbon; 
the body consists of many segments ; the front part of 
the worm is thin and narrow, and widens toward the 
tail. The head is hardly discernible to the naked eye. 
The Tape Worm lives in man's intestines, is often from 
twenty to twenty-four feet long, and longer. It is very 
troublesome, and removed from the body with much 
difficulty. 

Annularia. — These worms have a circulation of 



154 WORMS. 

red blood ; no visible external organs of respiration, 
but appear to respire by the entire surface. 

e. The Earth Worm (Lumbricus terrestris) is about 
six inches long, and composed of more than one hun- 
dred rings. It lives in moist, rich soils, gnaws at the 
small roots of garden plants and destroys them. 

Hirudo. — The Leech. The mouth of the Leech is 
armed with three jaws and encircled with a lip ; the 
hind extremity with a flattened disk, well adapted to 
adhere to other bodies. All the species of Leech live 
in water, and will suck blood. 

f. The Medical Leech {Hirudo officinalis) ; back, 
black, with six longitudinal red bands; belly, olive- 
yellow. Leeches are used for bleeding, and form an 
important article of commerce. 

g. The Horse Leech (H. golo) is of a darker color, 
and without dorsal bands. It cannot be used, as its 
bite causes severe wounds. 

Tubicol^e. — Worms living in shelly tubes. 

h. The Toothshell (Denlalium). The shell tube 
is open at both ends. 

i. The Wormshell (Serpula). The worm inhabits 
a hard, calcareous, round tube ; the branchiae look like 
feathers. 

Jc. The Nereid (Nereis). These worms stand up- 
right in sea-sand; many of them shed a phosphoric 
light. 

I. The Feltworm (Aphrodita) . The strong thorns, 
and tufts of fine bristles which protrude from its sides, 
have the lustre of gold ; and, in splendor of color, they 
are not inferior to precious stones and humming- 
birds. 



RADIATES. 155 

m. The N aid worm (iVazY) has a transparent body, 
bordered with bristles ; found, usually, in fresh waters. 

Radiata. — Radiates. The characteristic of these ani- 
mals is their ray-like form. Their chief organs lie in 
the middle, the others surround them like rays ; most 
of them have a mouth and a tube for digestion; head, 
and organs of sense, wanting ; nerves are also wanting 
in the most of them. They differ greatly in their ex- 
terior form ; all live in the water. 

n. The Green Polyp {Hydra viridis) attains the 
length of half a foot; the arms are shorter than the 
body. This small animal resembles an animated 
plant. 

There are numerous plant-like animals in the sea, with 
tentacules, or arms ; they live together in great numbers. 
From their bodies, they secrete a hard, solid, horny, or 
stone-like mass ; such societies, with their trunk, are 
called zoophytes, or animal plants ; among them are 
reckoned — 

o. The Sea-Cork (Alcyonium) becomes cork-like 
when dry, and is brittle : when fresh, it is fleshy and 
pliable, and is entirely composed of small polyps. 

We have also illustrated the common sponge {Sport- 
gia marina), which has been until now counted among the 
armed polyps, and which decidedly belongs to animal 
plants. It is mostly found around the islands, and in the 
bays of the Mediterranean, and is brought up from the 
depth of the sea by divers. In the fresh state, the' holes 
of the sponge are filled with organic and gelatinous 
matter, from which it must be cleaned to preserve it. 



156 RADIATES. 



Plate 29. 



a. The Horn Coral (Gorgonia) ; the trunk, smooth, 
horny, and sometimes woody ; the fleshy bark does not 
fall off when taken out of the water, but remains as a 
calcareous covering. Many kinds of these beautiful 
Corals are found in all seas. 

b. The Sea-feather (Pcnnatuld). The trunk is a 
simple hollow stalk, naked below, and adorned with 
thousands of polyps above. All polyps, like the Sea- 
feather, are moved by one will, as they move at once, 
and in the same direction. 

c. The Millepores (Millepora) ; trunk, naked, or 
branching, with minute openings ; the polyps generally 
without arms. 

d. The Star-coral (Madrepord). They have beau- 
tiful star-like openings. 

These Corals grow quickly, and are known under the 
name of coral reefs and coral banks, and become dan- 
gerous to navigation. Sometimes they rise above the 
surface of the water, and form entire islands, whose 
surface, in process of time, serves for the habitation 
of man. 

e. The Red Coral ( Isis nobilis) is generally at the 
bottom of the sea, where it stands like a stone tree. It 
is brought up by divers and by nets ; beautiful necklaces 
and other ornaments are made of it. 

Jelly-fishes (Acalephce) are gelatinous, free-swim- 
ming Radiates, provided with radiating tubes for diges- 
tion. They are found in all seas ; they shine during the 
night. Their tentacles produce a kind of stinging, by 



. 



RADIATES. 157 

which they immediately kill small animals, to carry 
them to their mouth. 

f. The Rose Jelly-fish (Medusa rosea) is found in 
the Baltic. 

g. The Common Jelly-fish, Sea-blubber (Velelld) ; 
having a flat cartilage on the upper part, which the 
animal uses for a sail when swimming. It is brilliant 
at night, everywhere common. 

h. The Ribbed Jelly-fish (Beroe) ; body, round, or 
oval, ornamented with eight rows of locomotive ap- 
pendages. The most of them give a brilliant light, 
and sparkle like precious stones. 

i. The Portuguese Man-of-War (Pkysalia Stepha- 
nonia) consists of a crested air sac, which floats lightly 
upon the water ; under its surface are numerous long 
and varied appendages. It is about eight inches long, 
and beautifully colored ; found in the Atlantic Ocean. 

1c. The Girdle of Venus (Stephanonia Amphitritis) 
is also found in the Atlantic ; it shines by night like a 
crown, of stars. 

Plate 30. 

a. The Marine Nettle, sea anemone, animal flower 
(Actinia), resembles a colored 'flower, with many leaves, 
which rests firmly on a broad smooth body. 

The Echinoderms, Star-fishes, and Sea Urchins are 
more perfectly organized than the Acalephs. 

b. The Common Star-fish (Asterias) is formed, like 
a star, with five rays. 

c. The Snake Star-fish (Ophiura) forms a disk, 
from which grow out five long, articulated rays, in the 
form of serpents ; common to all seas. 

14 



158 KADIATES. 

d. The Sea Urchin (Echinus) ; round, with a thin 
calcareous shell, which has a large mouth, with five 
strong teeth on the under side. On the outside of the 
shell are regular, long rows of warts, from which project 
spines, movable at the will of the animal. The eggs are 
situated at the anus, and pass out through a particular 
opening. The Sea Urchin is found in all seas, and is 
eaten by many people. 

e. The .Medusa (Gorgonocephalus). The body has 
five rays, which can be subdivided to infinity. It is 
found in all seas. 

/. The Sea Lily (Pentacrinus) ; stalk, Jive-sided ; 
star with five rays, and these are again subdivided. 
Each part can move independently of the other parts. 
It is found in the waters of the West Indies. It is the 
only living representative of the ancient crinoids, or 
stone-lilies, so abundant in the palaeozoic rocks. 



S. E. UEBINO'S CATALOGUE 



THE STUDY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES. 



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